eMedicine Specialties > Orthopedic Surgery > Spine

Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations: Workup

Author: Michael Leahy, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor - All Saints Hospital, Harris Methodist Hospital of Fort Worth
Coauthor(s): Mark Rahm, MD, Vice Chair and Residency Program Director, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University Health Science Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Scott and White Memorial Hospital
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 12, 2007

Workup

Imaging Studies

  • Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs of the thoracic spine: Radiographs are used initially to elucidate the fracture configuration. Radiographic evidence of a fracture at any level of the spine necessitates radiographic analysis of the entire spine.6
  • CT scan: CT scans of the thoracic spine with sagittal reformatted images provide information regarding the extent of injury to the osseous structures and the posterior elements.
  • MRI: This study is useful in evaluating soft-tissue injury to the ligaments, discs, and epidural spaces. MRI is most useful in patients when traumatic disc herniation, epidural hematoma, or spinal cord injury is suspected. In addition, MRI is used when CT and radiographic analysis do not adequately explain the patient's symptoms.7

More on Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations

Overview: Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations
Workup: Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations
Treatment: Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations
Follow-up: Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations
Multimedia: Thoracic Spine Fractures and Dislocations
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

spinal column injury, thoracolumbar injuries, neurologic injury, thoracic spine fractures, Denis classification, pedicle screw fixation

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Michael Leahy, MD,  Staff Physician, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor - All Saints Hospital, Harris Methodist Hospital of Fort Worth
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Mark Rahm, MD, Vice Chair and Residency Program Director, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University Health Science Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Scott and White Memorial Hospital
Mark Rahm, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, Texas Medical Association, and Texas Orthopaedic Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Lee H Riley III, MD, Chief, Division of Orthopedic Spine Surgery, Assistant Professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

William O Shaffer, MD, Associate Professor & Residency Program Director, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kentucky at Lexington
William O Shaffer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Southern Medical Association, and Southern Orthopaedic Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS, Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American College of International Physicians, and American College of Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Harris Gellman, MD, Consulting Surgeon, Broward Hand Center, Voluntary Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Plastic Surgery, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine
Harris Gellman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and Arkansas Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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