title: A practical approach to spine imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The spine is a complex mechanical structure that surrounds and protects the spinal cord and nerve roots. It is capable of multidirectional movement and is susceptible to a large variety of pathologies that can affect spinal cord and nerve root function. Detection of spinal pathology is aided by a familiarity with normal spinal anatomy and its appearance on CT and MRI studies. Imaging of the spine is performed frequently, and a systematic approach toward image interpretation can prevent overlooking or incompletely assessing a lesion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT and MRI of the spine provide detailed views of normal and abnormal structures and allow for differentiation of vascular, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, traumatic, and degenerative etiologies of spine disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article provides a strategy for interpreting CT and MRI studies of the spine and can be used as a primer for the other articles that follow in this issue of CONTINUUM, in which specific etiologies of spine and spinal cord pathology are considered in detail.
authors: Joshua P
authors: JP
authors: Klein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013122:Spinal Diseases; D013131:Spine / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed