Radiology of the Spine for the Interventionalist

Imaging is crucial in interventional pain management. It is essential to understand both normal and pathological pertinent findings in providing appropriate interventional pain management. Medical imaging modalities utilized in interventional pain management are fluoroscopy during the procedure performance, plain x-rays, nuclear medicine, computed tomography (CT), myelography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. Imaging can identify disc herniation, multiple degenerative pathologies, infectious, traumatic, malignant processes. Of all the imaging modalities utilized MRI is superior even compared to CT for demonstrating a compressed nerve root within a neural foramen; however, CT can demonstrate various bony abnormalities with superiority over MRI. This chapter reviews provides imaging for majority of the spinal disorders encountered in daily practices.