Oblique View of Lumbar Spine

This view is particularly useful to show the pars interarticularis region and the apophyseal joints. Note that the pars interarticularis is a purely radiological term, its equivalent anatomically being the anterior part of the lamina. The oblique view causes a certain well- known appearance of a Scottie dog: the dog's collar is the pars interarticularis, the eye is the pedicle, the nose is the transverse process and the ear is the superior articular facet. Defects of ossification of the pars may lead to spondylolisthesis. Again, as in the cervical spine, facet articulation disorders can be seen.

Scottie dog.