Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
Published on: February 28, 2021
Helical computed tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction of a bipedicular developmental anomaly of the C2
D M Power1, J L Cross, N M Antoun
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. dominicpower1@hotmail.com
Study Design:
A case of bilateral failure of fusion of the C2 neural arch resembling a bipedicular fracture in a 9-year-old boy involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Objectives:
To describe the use of helical computed tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction images to identify the defect as congenital.
Summary Of Background Data:
Congenital defects in the C2 neural arch are rare. Diagnostic difficulties arise when they are discovered during the assessment of patients after trauma, when they may resemble C2 arch fractures.
Methods:
Lateral cervical spine radiograph, transverse section computed tomography, and three-dimensional reconstruction images were used to delineate the anatomy of the defect.
Results:
The three-dimensional reconstruction views showed that normal alignment of the vertebrae was maintained, despite the pedicle defects.
Conclusions:
Differentiation of a C2 fracture from a congenital defect may be difficult. Reconstruction in three dimensions from helical computed tomography is a useful adjunct to conventional computed tomography in the evaluation of such patients.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:16Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...