Essentials of Spine Trauma Imaging: Radiographs, CT, and MRI

Traumatic injuries of the spine portend long-term morbidity and mortality. Timely diagnosis and appropriate management of mechanical instability of the spine is of utmost importance in preventing further neurologic deterioration. We present a comprehensive review of the indications for spinal imaging in the trauma setting, describe each imaging modality including plain radiographs, multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, basic anatomy and common fracture patterns, and discuss the traditional spinal injury classification systems and the new Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification and Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity score.