Male, 18 years old, with weakness and paresthesias in the right upper extremity, C5-6 distribution, status post trauma. Image quality is moderately degraded by motion artifact. Within this limitation, the following observations are made.Spinal alignment is anatomic. Vertebral body height and morphology are within normal limits. No evidence of significant marrow edema or marrow replacement is seen.The spinal cord shows normal signal intensity and morphology throughout. No epidural abnormality is suspected.C2-3: Unremarkable. C3-4: Minimal rightward disc osteophyte formation. Otherwise unremarkable. C4-5: Minimal rightward disc osteophyte formation. Otherwise unremarkable. C5-6: A right paracentral/subarticular disc protrusion is seen which encroaches upon the right lateral recess and may impinge upon the right exiting C6 nerve root and the C7 nerve root as it passes through the lateral recess. The right neural foramen is mildly narrowed. C6-7: Unremarkable. C7-T1: Unremarkable.
A disc herniation is evident at the C5-6 level in the right paracentral/subarticular zone causing effacement of the right lateral recess. This may impinge upon the exiting C6 nerve root and the descending C7 nerve root.