Our GP is ready to help you if you want to be sure that you are healthy and in good shape, you have medical questions or problems and want to discuss with an experienced doctor, you have some unknown symptoms and want to know what they could be related to, you want to know another medical opinion about the best way of treatment of your disease.
A spinal X-ray test provides a
picture of the bones that make up the spine (vertebrae). The
spine is a column of 33 bones, which are divided into
five groups from the neck to the tail bone. These groups are:
7 neck (cervical) vertebrae.
12 chest (thoracic) vertebrae.
5 lower back (lumbar) vertebrae.
5 small,
fused vertebrae (the sacrum).
4 small, fused vertebrae (the coccyx).
Sandwiched between most of the
vertebrae are pads of cartilage (discs) that
cushion the bones from shock and allow movement between them. The most common
spinal X-rays are of the cervical vertebrae (C-spine films) and lumbosacral
vertebrae (LS-spine films).
Spinal X-Ray Results
In an emergency, the results of
a spinal X-ray can be available within a few minutes. Otherwise, results are
usually ready within a day.
Spinal X-ray
Normal:
The bones of the spine (vertebrae)
are normal in size, shape, and location.
No broken bones, dislocations, or foreign objects are seen.
The spine is not abnormally curved.
Abnormal:
Broken bones, dislocations, or foreign objects may be seen.
The spine is abnormally
curved (such as from scoliosis).
Diseases
that affect the spine, such as thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) or arthritis, may be seen. One or
more bones in the spine may be abnormal
due to a condition such as cancer or infection.
Disc disease, which
is fairly common, can sometimes be seen on a spinal X-ray as a narrowed space
between the bones of the spine.
If spinal X-rays detect a problem,
other tests such as a CT
scan, magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scan, or myelogram may be needed.
Medical online consultation with qualified doctors
Copyright © 2004-2005