Fig. 13

Pitfalls in imaging and diagnosis of new bone formation: post-traumatic vertebral fusion. Sagittal T1-weighted MR images show interbody vertebral fusion years after severe spinal trauma, with discrete remnants of the intervertebral disc (arrows). This image suggests that the original injury included both vertebral endplates and the intervertebral disc. Also note that the height is less than the sum of the two vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disc, and antero-posterior diameter is not narrowed, two features which help differentiate this image from a congenital block vertebra. Note: b is an enlargement of the region outlined in a