This angle can and will vary between 5-20° depending on the position of the head. For this reason, a cephalic angle is required to project through the long axis of the vertebral column. Correcting tube angle errors and head tilt errorsĪ lordotic curvature exists in the cervical spine. The spinous process will rotate toward the pedicle of the side farther from the image receptor 3. The spinous process should be midline of the vertebral body, equidistant from both pedicles 3. Any deviation from the midline indicates rotation is present. Rotation can be detected by looking at the spinous processes in relation to the pedicles. make sure that any removable artifacts such as earrings, glasses or metal dentures are removed to avoid obscuring the anatomy of interest.spinous processes should be midline, equidistant to the pedicles, indicating that there is no rotation.cervical spine intervertebral disk spaces should be open 2.superiorly to include C2 and inferiorly to include T2.laterally to include the entire cervical spine.the central ray is midline centered at the level of C4 to enter immediately below the hyoid bone.chin should be raised to align the lower margin of the upper incisors to the mastoid tips/base of the skull (unless trauma when the patient is placed in a cervical collar).patient shoulders should be at equal distances from the image receptor to avoid rotation.patient positioned erect in AP position (unless trauma when the patient will be supine).This projection helps to visualize pathology relating to C3-C7 in the anatomical position, demonstrating any compression fractures, clay-shoveler fractures and herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) 1.

Cervical spine x rays