Trauma to the ankylotic spine: imaging spectrum of vertebral and soft tissue injuries.

The objectives of the study were to review the clinical entities that can cause ankylosis of the spine and to illustrate the spectrum of traumatic injury patterns. Ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic systemic hyperostosis, degenerative spondyloarthropathy, and spinal canal stenosis can render the spine susceptible to trivial trauma. Multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can accurately diagnose vertebral and soft tissue traumatic injury patterns in this patient population.