Fig. 8

Flexion teardrop fracture. Sagittal CT image of cervical spine in a young patient following vehicular accident shows wedging of C5 vertebral body with an oblique coronal fracture of the anterior third of the vertebral body, dividing the C5 in to a smaller anterior triangular fragment (short arrow) and a large posterior segment. Retrolisthesis of the C5 vertebral body on C6 behind the fracture line and retropulsed C5 keeping alignment with the cranial C4 vertebral body—suggested by non-interrupted posterior vertebral line (black line), while triangular fragment keeping alignment with the caudal C6 vertebra—suggested by non-interrupted anterior spinal line (white line). Distraction of posterior column is suggested by widening of interspinous/interlaminar space at C4–C5 (long arrow). Facet joint subluxation was seen on the parasagittal images (not shown)