Cover From Printed Issue
About the Cover: The cover presents a sagittal T2 weighted MRI of a 24 year old female. Magnetic resonance imaging may be used to assess functional, pathological, and biomechanical changes associated with vertebral subluxation without exposing the patient to ionizing radiation. On T2 weighted sequences, water appears bright. Cerebrospinal fluid and well hydrated discs appear white, while desiccated discs appear dark. In this subject, there is a reversal of the cervical curve from C2 through C5 that is evident without axial loading. The intervertebral discs in this region demonstrate decreased signal intensity, consistent with early degenerative changes. There is a small alteration in the contour of the CSF signal posterior to the spinal cord at the C6/C7 level. These findings are consistent with pathomechanics associated with vertebral subluxation. In addition to permitting the visualization of soft tissue structures, MRI often discloses subtle abnormalities which cannot be appreciated on radiographs.
