Chapter 7

EXERCISE 2: WHAT STRUCTURE IS THIS?

Exercise 2 Objective: Teach the user to recognize radiographic anatomy on the normal radiographs of the routine evaluation of the cervical spine.

Exercise type: 2: What Structure is This?

Instruction: User will look at the highlighted structure and identify it from a list of five possibilities.

View: Anteroposterior Thoracic Spine

What structure is this?

A. Vertebral body of T6

B. Pedicle of T7

C. Rib articulation T8-–T9

D. Spinous process of T12

E. Spinous process of L1

Question Rationale: The pedicle is imaged as an oval superimposed over the upper and outer corners of the vertebral body, and the pedicles are spaced equidistantly from midline.

What structure is this?

A. Vertebral body of T6

B. Pedicle of T7

C. Rib articulation T8-–T9

D. Spinous process of T12

E. Spinous process of L1

Question Rationale: The first lumber vertebrae can be identified because it does not typically have rib articulations.

What structure is this?

A. Vertebral body of T6

B. Pedicle of T7

C. Rib articulation T8-–T9

D. Spinous process of T12

E. Spinous process of L1

Question Rationale: The vertebral body appears as a boxlike structure with distinct osseous margins. The vertebral level is known by counting down from the vertebra articulated to the first rib, or by counting up from the last vertebra to have a rib articulation.

What structure is this?

A. Vertebral body of T6

B. Pedicle of T7

C. Rib articulation T8-–T9

D. Spinous process of T12