carrot stick fracture

Exaggerated cervical lordosis

Extensive cervical and upper thoracic posterior longitudinal ligament ossification effacing the CSF spaces, causing mild multilevel cord compression.

Additional ligamentum flavum ossification at C5-C6 level contributing for central canal narrowing causing mild focal cord compression with subtle small T2 cord hyperintensity at this level – suggestive of chronic compressive myelopathy.

Extensive cervical and upper thoracic anterior longitudinal ligament ossification with bridging osteophytes – suggestive of chronic seronegative inflammatory enthesopathy / diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)

A transverse fracture through C5-C6 discovertebral junction at C5-C6 level with widening of the anterior disc space – represents a ‘Carrot / chalk stick fracture’

Mild disc bulges at C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7 levels are contributing for central canal narrowing.

Left C5-C6 facet joint subluxation

Paravertebral soft tissue edema bilaterally