What is a spine x-ray?

Spinal X-rays are pictures of the spine. They may be taken to find injuries or diseases that affect the discs or joints in your spine. These problems may include spinal fractures, infections, dislocations, tumors, bone spurs or disc disease.

Spinal X-rays are also done to check the curve of your spine (scoliosis) or for spinal defects.

X-rays are a form of radiation, like light or radio waves, that are focused into a beam much like a flashlight beam. X-rays can pass through most objects, including the human body.

Dense tissues in the body, such as bones, block (absorb) many of the X-rays and look white on an X-ray picture. Less dense tissues, such as muscles and organs, block fewer of the X-rays (more of the X-rays pass through) and look like shades of gray on an X-ray. X-rays that pass only through air look black on the picture.

The spine is divided into four parts. So there are four common types of spinal X-rays:

• Cervical spine X-ray: This X-ray test takes pictures of the 7 neck (cervical) bones.
• Thoracic spine X-ray: This X-ray test takes pictures of the 12 chest (thoracic) bones.
• Lumbosacral spine X-ray: This X-ray test takes pictures of the 5 bones of the lower back (lumbar vertebrae) and a view of the 5 fused bones at the bottom of the spine (sacrum).
• Sacrum/coccyx X-ray: This X-ray test takes a detailed view of the 5 fused bones at the bottom of the spine (sacrum) and the 4 small bones of the tailbone (coccyx).

The most common spinal X-rays are of the cervical vertebrae (C-spine films) and lumbosacral vertebrae (LS-spine films).