Demonstration of the appearance of the paraspinal musculoligamentous structures of the cervical spine using ultrasound

Abstract

The application of ultrasound in the imaging of the neck has primarily focussed on anterior structures (e.g., thyroid gland). Structures located on the posterior aspect of the neck have received little attention. This study illustrates the capability of modern ultrasound equipment in visualising the musculoligamentous structures of the neck, particularly the paraspinal musculature. Ten healthy adult volunteers (6 female; 4 male) underwent ultrasound examination of the cervical spine. A standardised technique for transducer placement was adopted and successive images of the neck of each subject were obtained. Spatial compound (extended field of view) images were obtained in subjects using one of two different ultrasound systems. Images of structures produced by ultrasound were compared to those achieved with magnetic resonance imaging in three subjects. Identification of key landmarks aided orientation and identification of structures. The internal architecture of the musculoligamentous structures of the cervical spine, especially the posterior neck muscles, was demonstrated well using ultrasound. Our study showed that modern ultrasound equipment is capable of producing clear images of the posterior cervical spine musculature and certain bony features.

Ultrasound diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in the spine

“…Leung et al (22) showed that the posterior neck muscles and their internal architecture in the cervical spine are easily and effectively imaged. Clear pictures can be gathered of these structures using common modern ultrasound equipment (22). Specific attributes of the musculature such as cross-sectional area, thickness, width, and muscle depth can be visualized in the posterior paraspinal musculature (rectus capitis posterior major, oblique capitis superior, semispinalis capitis, multifidus, erector spinae, and splenius capitis) at rest and during contraction; these measurements were found to be reliable when confirmed against other imaging modalities (21,(23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

A Report on the First International Workshop on Research Methods in Animal-Computer Interaction

“…These topics are also essential to ACI, particularly where an understanding of both the species and individual is a key component of the design and evaluation process [8]. Her experiences of research methods included qualitative methods of surveys and interviews [31], ethological methods of observing and interpreting animal behaviour; and quantitative methods in biomedical engineering to evaluate injury mechanisms [18]. Her introduction to the discipline of ACI stemmed from a collaborative project developing a horse automated behaviour interaction tool [26].…”