X-Ray Essentials – Clinical Grand Rounds

 6 CE Credits

Spine Imaging Mastery (6 Hours)

Trauma, Instability, Curvatures, Fracture Recognition, and Outcome-Driven Clinical Decision-Making

If you want to confidently identify cervical trauma patterns, subtle instability, and critical red flags—and document them with clarity that stands up in clinical, collaborative, and case-review environments—this training is built for you.

This 6-hour program delivers focused, step-by-step instruction through 10 targeted modules plus a full image review + testing hour, emphasizing the radiographic anatomy and biomechanical interpretation clinicians need to make defensible, outcome-driven decisions.

What You’ll Be Able to Do After This Course

By the end of this training, you’ll be able to:

• Identify normal vs. abnormal alignment and joint spacing in the spine and extremities

• Interpret cervical and thoracic curvature patterns and recognize structural deviations

• Recognize fractures, ligamentous injury indicators, and instability mechanisms

• Evaluate upper cervical instability metrics including key interval measurements

• Identify clinically meaningful findings such as DISH, calcified ligaments, cervical ribs, and more

• Connect imaging findings to radiculopathy, disc protrusion, biomechanical failure, and outcomes

• Improve documentation for clinical collaboration, case management, and medical necessity justification

• Build diagnostic confidence through live image review, testing, and pattern recognition training

Who This Program Is For

This course is designed for:

• Chiropractors and spine-focused clinicians

• Providers involved in trauma, PI/MVA, or complex cervical cases

• DCs seeking stronger imaging interpretation, more confident reporting, and better care decisions

• Clinicians who want a stronger understanding of spinal instability and trauma indicators

• Providers who coordinate with medical providers, attorneys, or multidisciplinary teams

Format & Total Time

✅ 10 Modules (30 minutes each)
✅ 60 Minutes: Image Review + Testing
✅ Total Course Time: 6 Hours

This structure keeps each lesson concise while ensuring deep clinical repetition and retention.

Course Modules (Curriculum)

Module 1 (30 Minutes)

Anatomy, Alignment, and Joint Spacing

Learn the foundational relationships that drive interpretation accuracy:

• Functional spinal anatomy

• Alignment metrics

• Joint spacing patterns in spine and extremities

• What “normal” actually looks like—so abnormalities are unmistakable

Module 2 (30 Minutes)

Normal Curvatures, Soft Tissue Windows & Vertebral Zones

This module builds your ability to interpret structure and soft tissue context:

• Normal spinal curvatures and why they matter

• Soft tissue windows that reveal hidden problems

• Four vertebral zones

• Cortical borders and what they can (and cannot) confirm

Module 3 (30 Minutes)

Fractures, Retropharyngeal Space & Ligamentous Ossification

Develop a sharper eye for trauma and safety concerns:

• Recognizing spinal fracture patterns

• Retropharyngeal spaces and why they matter in trauma workups

• Ligamentous ossifications: patterns, risks, and documentation

Module 4 (30 Minutes)

DISH, Intercalary Bones, Calcified Ligaments, Cervical Ribs & Calcified Thyroid

Improve diagnostic clarity for often-missed findings:

• Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH) recognition

• Intercalary bones

• Ligament calcification patterns

• Cervical ribs

• Calcified thyroid findings and clinical context

Module 5 (30 Minutes)

Lamina & Pedicle Fractures, Column Displacement & Upper Cervical Instability Metrics

Learn what matters most in high-stakes imaging interpretation:

• Lamina and pedicle fractures

• Fracture displacement and column disruption

• Atlanto-dental interval significance

• Upper cervical instability identification

Module 6 (30 Minutes)

Trauma Patterns Beyond the Spine: Airway, Lungs, and Pathology Red Flags

Expand your interpretive lens to non-spinal indicators:

• “Raindrop” (teardrop) injury patterns and implications

• Mandibular fracture indicators

• Trachea, airway, lung fields

• Hilar masses

• Rib metastasis and destructive patterns

Module 7 (30 Minutes)

Cervical Central Disc Protrusions with Radiation & Spinal Instability

Connect imaging findings to symptom patterns:

• Central disc protrusion recognition

• Radiation patterns and correlation

• Instability findings that change clinical decision-making

Module 8 (30 Minutes)

Cervical Radiculopathy, Biomechanical Failure & Chiropractic Outcome Assessment

Translate imaging findings into outcomes and care strategy:

• Imaging and radiculopathy correlation

• Biomechanical failure interpretation

• Chiropractic outcome assessment frameworks

• Documentation strategies that support clinical reasoning

Module 9 (30 Minutes)

Multiple Cervical Ligamentous Injuries Diagnosed on Motion Radiographs

Build confidence with motion-based diagnostic interpretation:

• Pattern recognition for ligamentous injury

• Key motion radiographic indicators

• How to document instability in a clear, defensible way

Module 10 (30 Minutes)

Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion (C5–C6): Interpretation and Clinical Implications

Learn what to look for and what matters clinically:

• Post-surgical cervical fusion findings

• Common pitfalls in interpreting fused segments

• Adjacent segment implications and clinical considerations

Image Review & Testing (60 Minutes)

Pattern Recognition, Case-Based Interpretation & Competency Check

This final hour is where learning becomes skill:

• Guided image review

• Clinical testing to reinforce accuracy

• Interpretation confidence through repetition

• Practical application to real-world cases

Instructors

Mark Studin, DC, FPSC, FASBE(C), DAAPM

A nationally recognized leader in spine imaging interpretation, clinical documentation, and outcomes-driven spine care education.

Jason LoVette, DC, FPSC

Specializing in advanced spinal evaluation and clinical biomechanics with practical, case-based instruction.

Peter Zilahy, DC, FPSC

Focused on real-world diagnostic application, imaging patterns, and clinical correlation.

Why This Training Works

Most clinicians were taught to “look for problems.”
This course teaches you to recognize patterns—and document them in a way that improves:

• patient safety

• clinical accuracy

• diagnostic confidence

• interprofessional credibility

• outcomes tracking

• defensible clinical decision-making

Ready to Improve Your Imaging Confidence?

If you want a clear, structured, clinically grounded approach to cervical spine imaging, trauma interpretation, and instability recognition, this course gives you the system.

? Enroll now 

Instructions: Once you purchase the course online, it will be immediately active in your account. If you have any issues, please contact Cara 631-804-2845 or CaraRoss220@Gmail.com