Spinal deformities and pseudofractures.

Nine children with spinal deformities had CT examinations after sustaining blunt abdominal trauma. Partial-volume averaging of two lumbar vertebrae suggested a spinal fracture in four children. All four pseudofractures were oriented in a plane perpendicular to the deformity. In two children the spinal deformity could be recognized easily on the scout view. In the other two, the scout view was obtained in a plane different from that of the curvature and concealed the vertebral deformity. Scoliosis resulted in pseudo-fractures running from front to back of the vertebral body, whereas kyphosis resulted in pseudofractures seen in the coronal plane. The pseudofractures lacked associated soft-tissue swelling and had poorly defined, irregular borders that were widely separated by disk material.