TRIPLE AND QUADRUPLE IMAGE IN CT-SCAN OF LOWER CERVICAL SPINES UNIARTICULAR FRACTURES

The authors describe the triple and quadruple image aspects of the art icular pillar, which are encountered respectively in one-sided uni- an d biarticular fractures of the lower cervical spine, and they have ana lysed these images' specificity from a retrospective study. This study concerned 52 cases out of a group of 220 patients hospitalised betwee n 1979 and 1992, with an injury of the lower cervical spine and who un derwent a CT-scan examination in addition to the conventional radiogra phic check-up.Among a total of 70 lesions, 14 uniarticular and 4 biart icular one-sided fractures were recorded. All presented these characte ristic aspects, formed by the separated fragment of the articular proc ess; the unseparated component of the process and, concerning the trip le image the intact process, or concerning the quadruple image the fra gments of the second fractured process. An only case of a transisthmia n fracture associated with a fracture of the lower articular process s howed a similar aspect, which underlines the high specificity of these images.