Spinal x-ray

A spinal X-ray is done to:

• Help find the cause of ongoing pain, numbness, or weakness.
• Check for arthritis of the joints between the vertebrae and the breakdown (degeneration) of the discs between the spinal bones.
• Check injuries to the spine, such as fractures or dislocations.
• Check the spine for effects from other problems, such as infections, tumors, or bone spurs.
• Check for abnormal curves of the spine, such as scoliosis.
• Check the spine for problems present at birth (congenital conditions), such as spina bifida.
• Check changes in the spine after spinal surgery.

You will need to remove any jewelry that may be in the way of the X-ray picture. You may need to take off some of your clothes, depending on which area is examined. You will be given a cloth or paper gown to use during the test. You may be allowed to keep on your underwear if it does not get in the way of the test.

During the X-ray test, you will lie on an X-ray table. If the X-ray is being taken because of a possibly serious injury to your neck or back, a radiologist will look at the first X-ray pictures before taking others. This is done to prevent causing more injury. If you have a neck brace (cervical collar) in place, X-ray pictures may be taken and a physical exam done to see whether the brace can be taken off without hurting the spine.

Usually 3 to 5 X-ray pictures are taken. You need to lie very still to avoid blurring the pictures.

In an emergency, a doctor can see the results of a spinal X-ray in a few minutes. Otherwise, a radiologist usually has the official X-ray report ready the next day.

Normal:

• The bones of the spine (vertebrae) are normal in number, size, shape, appearance, and how they are lined up.
• No broken bones, dislocations, or foreign objects are present. The soft tissues around the vertebrae look normal.
• The spine is not abnormally curved.

Abnormal:

• Broken bones, dislocations, or foreign objects are present.
• The spine is abnormally curved, such as from scoliosis.
• Diseases that affect the spine, such as thin bones (osteoporosis) or arthritis, are present. One or more bones in the spine may be abnormal because of a condition you were born with or because of cancer, infection, or trauma.
• Disc disease, which is fairly common, can sometimes be seen on a spinal X-ray as a narrowed space between the bones of the spine. Bone spurs can also be seen.