Sagittal CT without contrast of the lumbar spine (left) shows a compression fracture of the L1 vertebral body with fracture fragments off of the anterior and posterior aspects of the L1 vertebral body and a mild compression fracture of the L3 verebral body. Sagittal T2 MRI without contrast of the lumbar spine (right) shows the posterior fracture fragment off of L1 to be effacing the thecal sac anteriorly and causing compression of the spinal cord. There is also bright signal in the L1 vertebral body secondary to the compression fracture.
