Pseudofractures of the cervical vertebral body.
A lucency traversing obliquely across the inferior-posterior aspect of cervical vertebral bodies may be a normal variant due to osteophytes of the uncinate processes or transverse processes with a resultant Mach band phenomenon. This could be misinterpreted as a fracture of the vertebral body in a patient with a history of cervical injury. A review of normal lateral cervical vertebral films obtained on patients with no traumatic history showed this phenomenon to occur in 27% of adults. It was not observed in children. The proper interpretation is easily made when one considers the location and the fact that a cervical fracture does not occur in such a location as an isolated event.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography