[Fractures of the cervical vertebrae: diagnosis with multi-slice spiral CT]
1Abteilung Röntgendiagnostik I, Klinikum der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.
Purpose:
It is the aim of this study to investigate the efficiency of multislice helical CT for the diagnosis of cervical spine fractures. The advantages of this technique are demonstrated by case reports.
Material And Methods:
The entire cervical spine or selected vertebral bodies of 66 patients with cervical spine fractures known from preceding plain films were scanned with a multislice helical CT. The CT-scans were obtained with a slice thickness of 1.25 mm and with two different pitches (0.75 or 1.5) and table speeds (3.75 or 7.5 mm/rot.). Additionally, sagittal and coronal reformations were performed.
Results:
The mean scan-time for the cervical spine was 13 seconds. High quality sagittal and coronal reformations were obtained from axial images within a few minutes. Fractures of the dens (n = 17) and of the vertebral body of C3-C7 (n = 12) occurred predominantly.
Conclusion:
Multislice helical CT is an effective tool to diagnose fractures of the cervical spine rapidly and exactly.
