Abstract
An annulus vacuum sign at the anterosuperior or anteroinferior margin of a cervical interspace in extension may be due to an acute hyperextension injury with tearing of Sharpey fibers allowing the annulus fibrosus to separate from the adjacent bone. The sign is not pathognomonic of this injury as has been implied in the literature. It can be due to an old hyperextension injury and is seen in degenerative disease of the annulus without any acute trauma. In addition, a pseudovacuum sign may be very difficult to distinguish from a true vacuum sign.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cintron E, Gilula LA, Murphy WA, Gehweiler JA Jr (1981) The widened disc space: a sign of cervical hyperextension injury. Radiology 141: 639
Daffner RH, Gehweiler JA Jr (1981) Pseudovacuum of the cervical intervertebral disc: a normal variant. AJR 137: 737
Gehweiler JA Jr Osborne RL Jr, Becker RF (1980) The radiology of vertebral trauma. Saunders, Philadelphia, p 215
Hilton RC, Ball J (1984) Vertebral rim lesions in the dorsolumbar spine. Ann Rheum Dis 43: 856
Isu T, Miyasaka K, Iwasaki Y, Ito T, Tsuru M, Takei H, Abe S (1983) Computed tomographic findings of vacuum phenomenon in cervical intervertebral disks. Surg Neurol 19: 528
Miller MD, Gehweiler JA Jr, Martinez S, Charlton OP, Daffner RH (1978) Significant new observations on cervical spine trauma. AJR 130: 659
Pribram HFW, Hieshima GB (1982) Trauma to the cervical spine. In: Greenbaum EI (ed) Radiology of the emergency patient. Wiley, New York, p 117
Resnick D, Niwayama G, Guerra J Jr, Vint V, Usselman J (1981) Spinal vacuum phenomena: anatomical study and review. Radiology 139: 341
Reymond RD, Wheeler PS, Perovic M, Block B (1972) The lucent cleft, a new radiographic sign of cervical disc injury or disease. Clin Radiol 23: 188
Sampson P (1977) Will the real whiplash patient tip back his head? (editorial) JAMA 238: 2341
Torg JS, Wiesel SW, Rothman RH (1982) Diagnosis and management of cervical spine injuries. In: Torg JS (eds) Athletic injuries to the head, neck, and face. Lee and Febiger, Philadelphia, p 185
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bohrer, S.P. The annulus vacuum sign. Skeletal Radiol 15, 233–235 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00354067
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00354067