This document discusses different imaging modalities for evaluating lumbar spine injuries. It covers plain radiographs, CT scans, and MRI for assessing vertebral fractures, abnormalities, and postoperative fixation. Common fractures discussed include burst fractures of L2 and L3, a Chance fracture, and compression fractures of L1 and L2. Surgical techniques like transpedicle screw fixation are also summarized.

2. PRACTICAL RADIOLOGY OF
LUMBAR SPINE
DR PIRAH KORAI
Resident Neurosurgeon
JPMC, Karachi, Pakistan

3. INTRODUCTION

4. PLAIN RADIOGRAPHS

5. VERTEBRAL STRUCTURES

11.  (a). Cobb angle; (b). Gardner angle; (c). Vertebral
compression angle; (d). Anterior vertebral body
compression percentage
(a). Cobb angle
(b). Gardner angle
(c). Vertebral compression angle
(d). Anterior vertebral body compression percentage

15. L2 COLLAPSE

16. L3 BURST FRACTURE

18. CT LUMBAR SPINE

22.  Abnorma;

24. CHANCE FRACTURE

25. L1 COMPRESSION FRACTURE

26. MRI LUMBAR SPINE

27.  Pros:
 Excellent soft tissue discrimination
 No radiation exposure
 Most sensitive modality for evaluating the spine
 Cons:
 Less sensitive for evaluating bony anatomy and calcifications
 Contraindicated for patients with metal devices, etc.
 Expensive
 Inc procedure time
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

28. TYPICAL SEQUENCES SPINE MRI

36. L2 BURST FRACTURE

38. T12, L1 COLLAPSE VERTEBRAE

39. L3 BURST FRACTURE

41. PEDICLE SCREWS FIXATION
POSTOP IMAGES

42. T12-L2 TRANSPEDICLE SCREWS FIXATION

44. L1-L3 TRANSPEDICLE SCREWS FIXATION

45. MINIMAL INVASIVE PERCUTANEOUS
TPS FIXATION