SECTIONAL ANATOMY OF

SPINE (CERVICAL, DORSAL,

AND LUMBO-SACRAL)
Lecture by: M.K. Sastry
Program Director,
Post Graduate Studies and PhD Program
 FUNCTIONS
The most important functions of the
vertebral column are as follows:
1. Protection: it encloses the spinal
cord, shielding it from damage.
 FUNCTIONS
The most important functions of the
vertebral column are as follows:
2. Support: it carries the weight of the
body above the pelvis (below the
pelvis, the lower limbs take over).
 FUNCTIONS
The most important functions of the
vertebral column are as follows:
3. Axis: the vertebral column forms
the central axis of the body.
4. Movement: it has roles in both
posture and movement.
vertebrae
SECTIONAL ANATOMY
OF
CERVICAL SPINE
The pictures are axial CT thin
slices through the 7th cervical
vertebra. It demonstrates a
fracture with fragmentation in
the body of the vertebra. This
study was performed upon
recommendation of the
radiologist who viewed the plain
films of this trauma patient.
These pictures further
emphasize the need for quality
images of the entire cervical
spine especially the atlas/axis
junction, and the C7/T1
junction.
These 2D sagittal
reconstructed images
of the cervical spine
are part of the routine
imaging sequence for
CT imaging of the
cervical spine. In
terms of our case
study it demonstrates
why CT is an added
value to imaging the
spine being that the
fracture at C7 is well
described.
The pictures are 2D
coronal CT images of
the cervical spine.
They demonstrate
well the contribution
of CT imaging to the
cervical spine. Again,
the fracture of C7 is
well visualized and
described in many
planes of the
coronal slices.
This MRI study
shows sagittal
images of the
cervical spine of
our trauma case.
The fracture and
intrusion into the
vertebral canal is
well seen in
these images
The MRI radiographs above
of axial images (1-6) and
sagittal images (7-12) are T2
weighted. They demonstrate
the contributions of MR
imaging cervical spine
trauma diagnosis. The area
of the fracture is shown to
evaluate for spinal cord
injury. MR imaging is not the
gold standard for trauma c-
spine imaging because most
trauma support materials are
still not nonferromagnetic.
SECTIONAL ANATOMY
OF
THORACIC (DORSAL)
SPINE
SECTIONAL ANATOMY OF
LUMBAR SPINE
Thank You