Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
742 results found
Article
Corticorubral tract
The corticorubral tract contains neurons that connect the primary motor and sensory areas to the red nucleus. The rubrospinal tract then descends through the spinal cord.
The tract is thought to excite flexor muscles and inhibit extensor muscles.
Gross anatomy
Central connections
The corti...
Article
Intercristal line
The intercristal line (also known as Jacoby’s Line or Tuffier’s Line) is a horizontal line drawn across the highest points of both the iliac crests in an anteroposterior (AP) lumbar radiograph 1,2.
The intercristal line most often intersects the body of L4 or its inferior endplate in men and th...
Article
Transversospinalis muscle group
The transversospinalis muscle group is the deep layer of the intrinsic back muscles. These muscles lie between the transverse and spinous processes and are grouped by length of the fascicles, as well as region covered. The groups are rotatores, multifidus, and semispinalis.
Gross anatomy
Rotat...
Article
Splenius cervicis muscle
The splenius cervicis is part of the superficial layer of the intrinsic back muscles. It is one of the two muscles in this group, the other being the splenius capitis.
Summary
origin: spinous processes of T3-T6
insertion: transverse processes of C1-C3
innervation: dorsal rami of the lower ce...
Article
Splenius capitis muscle
The splenius capitis is a strap-like muscles that, along with the splenius cervicis, comprise the superficial layer of intrinsic back muscles.
Gross anatomy
Attachments
origin: ligamentum nuchae, and the tips of the spinous processes and associated supraspinous ligaments of C7 and the upper t...
Article
Intervertebral joint
There are three intervertebral joints between each adjacent vertebra from the axis to the sacrum – one between the vertebral bodies and a pair between the facets of adjoining vertebral arches (zygapophysial joints, also called facet joints).
Gross anatomy
Movement
flexion: the anterior interv...
Article
Roy-Camille classification of odontoid process fracture
The Roy-Camille classification of fractures of the odontoid process of C2 depends on the direction of the fracture line 1.
The level of fracture line as described by the Anderson and D’Alonzo classification is not predictive of the degree of instability or the risk of non-union. This classifica...
Article
Neuromuscular scoliosis
Neuromuscular scoliosis is a term that can be used to describe scoliosis that is caused by underlying brain, spine or muscular conditions. While the underlying conditions can be a very broad group of disparate conditions, they tend to result in similar spinal curves.
Radiographic features
Neur...
Article
Cervical disc arthroplasty
Cervical disc arthroplasty is a procedure involving the replacement of degenerative cervical intervertebral discs with artificial discs to enable decompression of the cervical spinal cord.
This procedure is an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and avoids the loss o...
Article
Corpectomy
Corpectomy refers to the removal of one or more vertebral bodies and is followed by spinal fusion.
Indication
compressive myelopathy secondary to, for example, retrovertebral hypertrophic osteoarthritis, tumor, infection, severe trauma
Contraindications
multilevel corpectomy in patients wit...
Article
Posterior sacroiliac ligament
The posterior (a.k.a. dorsal) sacroiliac ligament (TA: ligamentum sacroiliacum posterius) is a very strong ligament important in stabilizing the sacroiliac joint.
Gross anatomy
Some texts state that the posterior sacroiliac ligaments have two components; a more superior part, the short posteri...
Article
Paraspinal muscles
The paraspinal muscles (PSM) , also known as paravertebral muscles, is a descriptive term given to those muscles that closely surround the spine, primarily the thoracolumbar spine. There has been great research interest in using the cross-sectional area of these muscles as a measure of overall m...
Article
Interspinous ligament
The interspinous ligaments join the spinous processes along their adjacent borders. They are composed of relatively weak fibrous tissue that fuses with the stronger, supraspinous ligaments.
Article
Foraminal disc protrusion
Foraminal disc protrusions are an important entity to recognize for a number of reasons, these include:
they are relatively easy to overlook as they do not impinge upon the spinal canal
they do not narrow the subarticular recess, but compresses the exiting nerve root only, thus clinically mimi...
Article
Spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS)
The spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) helps to assess tumor related instability of the vertebral column. It has been shown to be useful in guiding the mobilization or operative management of patients with neoplastic spinal disease.
Studies have reported good inter-observer agreement am...
Article
Pneumatic nerve root compression
Pneumatic nerve root compression is a term given to nerve root compression due to a presence of a juxtadiscal herniated gas locule. It is not a common occurrence 2. The gas locules in these instances typically arise from herniation of intradiscal gas which occurs as part of disc degenerative cha...
Article
Intervertebral disc
Intervertebral discs form the articulations between adjacent vertebral bodies from C2 to S1, thus forming 23 in total (although segmentation variations are not uncommon). Together they account for ~25% of the total height of the vertebral column which decreases with age as disc height is lost th...
Article
Ossification centers of the vertebral column
Ossification of the vertebral column is complex but an overview of primary and secondary ossification centers is given below:
Primary ossification centers
The C3-L5 vertebrae typically have three primary ossification centers that start appearing at 9 weeks in utero and finish primary ossificat...
Article
Picture frame vertebral body
Picture frame vertebral body is a radiologic appearance in which the cortex of the vertebral body is thickened. This sign can be seen in patients with Paget disease.
It is a result of disorganized new cortical bone formation after excessive osteoclastic activity causes the resorption of normal...
Article
Cervical spine injury
Cervical spine injuries can involve the cervical vertebral column, intervertebral discs and cervical spine ligaments, and/or cervical spinal cord. The cervical spine accounts for ~50% of all spinal injuries.
Epidemiology
5-10% of patients with blunt trauma have a cervical spine injury 1.
Pa...
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