The Radiologist will usually comment on the alignment of the vertebrae and the presence or absence of any ‘wear and tear’ changes, usually related to normal aging and known as degenerative changes or osteoarthritis. Sometimes, a Radiologist may also be requested to interpret the images.Ĭ-Spine X-Rays taken in the non-urgent setting are reported by a Radiologist, and the report is usually sent to the doctor who ordered the test. The cervical spine flexion and extension views demonstrate the seven vertebrae of the cervical spine when the patient is in a lateral position. Health Library / Diagnostics & Testing / Spine X-Ray. The content is pitched at higher level than our existing upper limb x-ray learning pathways, and there is a bit of assumed knowledge, but with the addition of the related articles and annotated review cases it is. In cases of trauma, the cervical spine x-ray is usually interpreted immediately by an emergency doctor such as an Emergency Physician, an Orthopaedic Surgeon, or a General Surgeon involved in the care of the patient. The cervical spine checklist is just one of the many pathology checklists that can be used when reporting to ensure that you always actively exclude pathology that is commonly missed this is particularly helpful in the examination setting, e.g. Ive been reporting cervical spine x-rays for many years and I still found that I learned lots of great new tips from Matts lecture. A spinal x-ray can reveal things such as spinal fractures, disk problems, infections, tumors, abnormal curvature of the spine, Scoliosis, arthritis and pretty much anything that may be impacting the spine negatively, including congenital issues that a person may be born with.