This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Cervical X-ray (musculoskeletal imaging in primary care)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • Cervical spine x-rays
    • should be performed in trauma, to assess bony alignment - e.g. in rheumatoid patients (flexion and extension lateral views) - and to delineate osteoarthritis (OA)

    • in non-traumatic acute neck pain x-ray examination is not usually helpful as most resolves on conservative management, but after 6-8 weeks with no improvement, or if lifestyle is affected or focal neurology demonstrated, or in those with a history of malignancy, specialist referral is indicated

General Indications for x-ray examination

  • Bony tenderness
  • Inability to weight-bear
  • Acute joint pain
  • Gross joint deformity
  • Acute spinal pain in elderly (to rule out osteoporotic wedge fracture)

Reference:

  • 1) Arthritis Research UK (Summer 2013). Hands on - Musculoskeletal imaging for GPs.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.