C-Spine & Soft Tissue Neck Exam

How many cervical vertebrae are there?

7

What vertebrae is the atlas?

C1

What vertebrae is the axis?

C2

What vertebrae is the vertibral prominence?

C7

Purpose of cervical vertebrae

Support the skull and protects the spinal cord and blood flow to the brain

Cervical vertebrae have what kind of curvature?

Concave (lordotic)

Clay Shoveler's Fracture

Avulsion fracture of the spinous process in the lower cervical and upper thoracic region

Jefferson Fracture

A comminuted fracture of the ring of the atlas; involves both the anterior and posterior arches and causes displacement of the fragments (comminuted)

Hangman’s Fracture

A fracture of the arch of C2 (axis)

Clay Shoveler's Fracture

Jefferson Fracture

Hangman’s Fracture

Herniated Nucleus Pulposus (HNP)

Condition in which part or all the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disk is forced through a weakened part of the disk

Herniated Nucleus Pulposus (HNP)

Hyperextension Injury

Abnormal motion or force applied to the neck that causes movement beyond the necks normal range of motion

Hyperextension Injury

Croup

Viral infection primarily of young children – produces inflammatory obstructive swelling localized to the subglottic portion of trachea

Croup

Intrabronchial Foreign Body

Partial or complete obstruction with FB

What are the joints in between the facets?

Zygapophyseal

What are the openings between the pedicles as they are stacked on top of each other?

Intervertebral foramina

What organ systems is the pharynx apart of?

GI and respiratory

Nasopharynx

Behind the nasal passage

Oropharynx

Back of oral cavity

Laryngopharynx

Most distal part of pharynx (“throat”)

1?

Infraorbital meatal line

2?

Occlusal plane

3?

EAM

4?

Mastoid tip

5?

Mandibular rami

6?

Gonion

1?

Transverse foramen

2?

Pedicle

3?

Facets

4?

Bifid spinous process

5?

Body

6?

Transverse process

7?

Vertebral foramen

8?

Lamina

What runs through transverse foramen?

Arteries and veins

What additional view is performed if unable to get a good odontoid?

Fuchs

What view is done if unable to get a good lateral?

Cone down or swimmers

Soft tissue neck technique

65-70 kVp, center cell (3.2 mAs)

C-spine technique

85 kVp, center cell

Lateral c-spine mAs

8

AP axial c-spine mAs

3.2

Odontoid mAs

3.6

C-spine obliques mAs

10

AP, obliques and odontoid breathing

Suspended respiration

Lateral breathing instructions

Suspended expiration

Lateral c-spine SID

72