CERVICAL VERTEBRAE-ALIGNMENT

SUMMARY

Assess four parallel lines. These are:
1. Anterior vertebral line (anterior margin of vertebral bodies)
2. Posterior vertebral line (posterior margin of vertebral bodies)
3. Spinolaminar line (posterior margin of spinal canal)
4. Posterior spinous line (tips of the spinous processes)

These lines should follow a slightly lordotic curve, smooth and without step-offs. Any malalignment should be considered evidence of fractures or ligmentous injury, and cervical spine immobilization should be maintained until a definitive diagnosis is made.



Image: Case courtesy of Dr Craig Hacking, Radiopaedia.org. From the case rID: 57340 [Accessed 20 Apr 2020].

Reference(s)

R.M.H McMinn (1998). Last’s anatomy: regional and applied. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Get it on Amazon.
Drake, Richard L., et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students. Elsevier, 2023. Get it on Amazon.