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Musculoskeletal Imaging

Block vertebra

a union between adjacent vertebrae, which may result from nonsegmentation of vertebral somites. It can be seen as a congenital abnormality in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine. Usually only two vertebrae are affected, and the patient is asymptomatic. In such cases, the intervertebral discs may be missing or represented by rudimentary calcified structures. An hourglass appearance is often seen owing to the presence of a waistlike constriction of the fused vertebral bodies at the level of the intervertebral disc. In addition, the height of the block vertebra may be less than would be expected in relation to the number of segments involved (Fig.1).

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Fig.1

Lateral radiograph of the cervical spine demonstrates a block vertebra at C5 - C6. Note the absence of a disc space and the hourglass configuration of the two vertebral bodies that are fused at this level. Facet joints and spinous processes also are ankylosed at this level.
Block vertebra, Fig.1