Author: Tim Milligan

This is a lateral projection of the skull of a patient with a history of right leg weakness after a fall. Notice the fracture of the left parietal bone.

Image A: Axial CT displaying a perched facet.
Image B: Coronal reconstruction of CT displaying a perched facet.
Image C: Sagittal reconstruction of CT displaying a perched facet.
[Courtesy of Dr. J. Spears]

Image A: Non-united type 2 odontoid fracture (left) and odontoid view (right).
Image B: Odontoid view. Examine the dens for fracture.

Axial CT (left) with a right “naked” facet. This CT shows a normal articulating surface with both facets facing each other on the left and a jumped facet on the right. Sagittal CT (right) showing a jumped facet. [Courtesy of Dr. J. Spears]

Hangman’s fracture of C2. Bilateral fractures of the pedicles of C2.

Difacet dislocation

Normal Lateral C-spine
Left Image: Look at ABCS (adequacy and alignment, bones, cartilage, and soft tissue).

C-spine Alignment
Right Image: Look at anterior, posterior, and spinolaminar alignment.

Image A: Clay shoveler’s fracture of C7. A clay shoveler’s fracture is an avulsion fracture of the spinous process of C7 or T1 which results from a sudden load on a flexed spine.
Image B: These are AP (left) and lateral (right) views of a patient with a fracture and dislocation of L3 as well as traumatic spondylolysis of L5.

Image A: Lateral C-spine plain film of the neck displaying an avulsion of the anterior inferior aspect of the C5 vertebral body with loss of normal lordotic curvature.
Image B: Axial CT view showing multiple fractures involving the lamina bilaterally, the right pedicle, and vertebral body.
Image C: Axial CT view with evidence of multiple fractures involving the lamina bilaterally, and vertebral body with anterior displacement.
[Courtesy of Dr. J. Spears]