Abstract
The value of x ray examination of the cervical spine was studied. In one district general hospital it has been estimated that such examinations occupy one radiographer and one room for four hours a week. Eighty-five per cent of patients aged 60 or more who had been referred for an x ray examination of the neck in one year were reported as having cervical spondylosis, and there were no unexpected findings of infection or malignancy at any age. The reports of patients referred for x ray examination of the cervical spine were compared with those of control patients who had originally attended for barium studies. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of cervical spondylosis between the two groups, although the severity of the disc changes was greater among cases than controls. There were no consistent relations between symptoms and changes seen on x ray films. It is suggested that x ray examinations should be performed only when there is a clinical suspicion of malignancy or infection, after trauma, or when surgery may be indicated. There is little point in taking x ray films of the neck to diagnose cervical spondylosis.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Abrams H. L. Sounding board The "overutilization" of x-rays. N Engl J Med. 1979 May 24;300(21):1213–1216. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197905243002110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brunton F. J., Wilkinson J. A., Wise K. S., Simonis R. B. Cine radiography in cervical spondylosis as a means of determining the level for anterior fusion. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1982;64(4):399–404. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.64B4.7096410. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McPhee S. J., Myers L. P., Schroeder S. A. The costs and risks of medical care: an annotated bibliography for clinicians and educators. West J Med. 1982 Aug;137(2):145–161. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Westerling D., Jonsson B. G. Pain from the neck-shoulder region and sick leave. Scand J Soc Med. 1980;8(3):131–136. doi: 10.1177/140349488000800308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]