Radiographs of thoracic spine shear fractures

These plain radiographs of the thoracolumbar spine in anterior-posterior (A and B) and lateral projections (C and D) reveal a fracture dislocation centered around T11/T12. The arrowheads define the spinous processes on the frontal film and demonstrate the abrupt angulation centered at the dislocated level. The arrows point to the posterior cortices of the vertebral bodies and highlight the extent of abnormal translation.