J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2003 Dec;14(5):646-652.

The Usefulness of Chest and Abdominal CT in Detection of Thoracolumbar Spine Fracture after Multiple Blunt Trauma

• Ju JM
• Lim YS
• Kim JK
• Yang HJ
• Lee G
• Jin W
• Hwang SY

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the accuracy of spine plain films with chest and abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) for trauma in detection of spine fractures.
METHODS
Patients who sustained multiple blunt injury and required both thoraco-lumbar spine plain films and chest or abdominal CT scans were retrospectively identified. Of these 154 patients had both chest CT for trauma and thoracic spine plain films, and 220 patients had both abdominal CT for trauma and lumbar spine plain films.
RESULTS
Of the fractures visible at either chest CT or thoracic spine plain film examination, all were diagnosed on CT and 50% on plain films. Of fractures visible at either abdominal CT or lumbar spine plain films, all were diagnosed on CT and 62% on plain films.
CONCLUSION
Evaluation of the scanogram and bone windows when a patient has chest and abdominal CT appears to be as accurate as thoracic and lumbar spine films in the evaluation of spinal trauma. Further study is required to determine whether chest or abdominal CT scans routinely replace conventional radiographs of the thoracic or lumbar spine after blunt trauma.

Keyword

Computed Tomography; Spine fracture; Blunt trauma

MeSH Terms

Humans
Retrospective Studies
Spine*
Thorax*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed*
Wounds, Nonpenetrating