The vertebral column consists of _____ articulating vertebrae and ____ fused vertebrae in the sacrum and coccyx.
24 9
On T1 weighted images of the spine, the CSF appears _____ to the spinal cord.
hypointense
On T2 weighted images of the spine, the CSF appears _____ to the spinal cord.
hyperintense
The ligamenta flava are ligaments which connect the laminae of adjacent vertebrae from the _____ axis to the first segment of the sacrum.
C1/2
Sagittal spine sequences are ideal to evaluate both the ____ of the intervertebral bodies/disc as well as _______ disc herniation.
height, posterior
Coronal scan plane: optimal to measure the degree of curvature found in patients with _______, most commonly found in the _______ spine region.
scoliosis, thoracic
The sagittal scan plane best demonstrates the degree of spinal _______.
stenosis
The axial scan plane best visualizes both _____ and ______ nerve roots.
dorsal and ventral
The intervertebral disc is comprised of the ______ and the nucleus pulposus.
annulus fibrosus
The annulus fibrosus is the _______, multilayer, fiber structure.
outermost
The nucleus pulposus is the soft, gelatinous, ______ portion of the intervertebral disc, comprised of _______% water.
innermost, 80%
One would expect to see ______ signal intensity on T2 weighted images of a healthy nucleus pulposus.
bright
Gradient echo T2* axial images are mandatory in cervical spine imaging for eval of cord anatomy, investigating ________ disease, and/or the discrimination of osteophyte vs disc herniation.
extramedullary
When performing lumbar spine images thru the intervertebral disc spaces, slices oriented in the _______ transverse plane would be selected.
oblique
The lumbar region is the spinal region that is ______ affected by CSF pulsation.
least
During a post surgical MRI of the lumbar spine, the evaluation of post operative surgical regions and/or the possibility of scar tissue can be best accomplished by:
sagittal T1 weighted post gad images
Post-op scar tissue enhances shortly after administration of gad contrast and appears _____ to disc on T1 post contrast images.
hyperintense
Approx _____ minutes post contrast, disc will begin to enhance.
20
Disc enhances more ______ than post-op scar.
slowly
the terminal end of the spinal cord
conus medullaris
The conus medullaris occurs near the ______ region.
T12-L1
After the spinal cord tapers out, the spinal nerves continue as dangling nerve roots called:
cauda equina
The terminal nerve root tail is referred to as the:
filum terminale
The conus and cauda equina are best visualized with a ______ image of the L-spine/
sagittal
Fracture, infection, or neoplasm causes a _____in signal intensity on T1 weighted images due to the reduction/replacement of bone marrow, which normally has T1 hyperintense signal intensity.
reduction
A condition in which the spinal cord is pulled lower than its natural position and is generally found in children or patients with spina bifida or chiari malformation
tehtered cord
a group of neurological disorders related to malformations of the spinal cord
tethered spinal cord syndrome or occult spinal dysraphism sequence