My Spine - Lumbar
There are other cuts as well, such as coronal cuts where the body is viewed
from front to back. Both coronal cuts and sagittal cuts are useful for reveal-
ing the alignment of the spine. The coronal cuts demonstrate scoliosis well.
Scoliosis is where the spine is bent (has an abnormal curve) when viewed
from the front. The normal curve of the spine can be evaluated on the sagittal
views.
When the curve is more pronounced to the front, it is called kyphosis and
when it is more curved towards the back, it is called lordosis. The coronal cuts
are also useful for evaluating the nerve roots as they leave the spinal canal
through the foramina and can demonstrate extraforaminal (outside of the
foramen of the spinal canal) disc compression of the spinal nerves.
What is a myelogram?
This test is performed with a contrast agent that is injected into the spinal
canal with a technique called a lumbar puncture. The patient is placed on a
table that can tilt and is tilted so that the contrast medium can run up and
down the spinal canal. A CT scan of the spine is performed at the same time
and images are then generated that can indicate whether there is an obstruc-
tion of the nerves of the spine. This procedure has mostly been replaced by
MRI scans. It is still performed in cases where patients cannot undergo an
MRI scan due to certain metal implants in the body and for other specific
indications.
What is an electromyogram (EMG)?
This is a test of the electric conductivity of the nerves of the body. This can
be done by measuring the transit time in nerves and measuring the response
in the muscles that are supplied by these nerves. The measuring instrument is
a small needle that is placed in the muscle and then connected to a machine
that measures very small electric impulses. When your specialist receives a
report that there is slowing in transit time in one of the nerves, this may indi-
cate, among other things, that the nerve is being compressed by a lesion like
a slipped disc.
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