Skip to main content
ReadYourLab Logo
ReadYourLab
Open menu
Sign Up Log In

Spine CT

Understand your spine CT — in language that actually makes sense

Upload your lumbar, cervical, or thoracic spine CT (the folder of DICOM slices) and get a clear, plain-language explanation of what the findings mean: bone spurs, disc-osteophyte complexes, slippage, fractures, and canal narrowing.

Analyze My Spine CT See a sample report first
GDPR compliant Encrypted Delete anytime
Spine CT cross-sections on a radiology reading-room monitor — ReadYourLab AI spine CT interpretation

What a spine CT can and can't show

A spine CT shows bone in exquisite detail — better than an MRI for fractures, bony spurs, and the exact shape of the vertebrae. What it shows less well is the soft tissue: the discs, nerves, and spinal cord are far clearer on an MRI.

So a report full of terms like "disc-osteophyte complex," "facet arthropathy," and "neural foraminal narrowing" is describing bone-based wear that is extremely common with age and found in a large share of adults with no back pain at all.

ReadYourLab reads your slices with medical AI and rewrites the report in plain language: what each finding is, how common it is, and which ones typically warrant a conversation with your doctor. It's an informed first look — not a diagnosis.

Common spine CT findings — explained

The terms that show up most often on spine CT reports, and what they usually mean.

Disc-osteophyte complex

Very common

A mix of bulging disc and bony spur at a disc level — a combined wear finding that CT shows well. Very common with age, and its importance depends on whether it narrows a nerve channel and matches your symptoms.

Full explanation

Spondylosis / osteophytes

Very common

Bony spurs along the vertebral edges — the spine's normal response to years of load. Common, frequently symptom-free, and usually described rather than treated.

Full explanation

Facet joint arthrosis

Common with age

Wear of the small paired joints at the back of the spine, shown clearly on CT. A frequent age-related finding read alongside your symptoms.

Full explanation

Spondylolisthesis

Graded, ask your doctor

One vertebra has slipped forward over the one below. Often mild and stable; the grade and your symptoms determine whether anything is done.

Full explanation

Canal / foraminal narrowing

Depends on symptoms

Narrowing of the central canal or the side channels where nerves exit. CT infers this from the bone; it matters most when it lines up with pain, numbness, or weakness in a limb.

Full explanation

Compression fracture

Needs attention

A vertebra that has lost height, from injury or weakened bone. CT is very good at showing these; telling an old healed one from a new one matters and often needs your history.

Full explanation

Vertebral hemangioma

Usually harmless

A benign tangle of blood vessels within a vertebra, with a characteristic look on CT. A very common incidental finding that is almost always harmless and left alone.

Full explanation

Schmorl's node

Usually harmless

A small dip where disc material has pushed into a neighbouring vertebra. Very common, usually painless, and typically an incidental finding of no consequence.

Full explanation

Descriptions here are general education, not a reading of your specific CT. Always review your report with your doctor, and seek prompt care for leg weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the saddle area, or severe pain after an injury.

The measurement in your spine CT report

When a vertebra has slipped, one grading scale comes up more than any other.

Meyerding grade (I–IV)

Learn more

Rates how far one vertebra has slipped over the one below, in quarters. Grade I (up to a quarter) is by far the most common and is frequently managed without surgery.

Sample AI report excerpt

What your AI spine CT report looks like

A short excerpt from a real, anonymized lumbar spine CT analysis — rendered the way you'll see it.

Patient explanation

Lumbar Spine CT — Plain-Language Summary

Your CT shows common age-related bony wear in the lower back, with the vertebrae well aligned and intact.

There are bony spurs and a disc-osteophyte complex at the lowest levels — a typical wear pattern for your age. The vertebrae line up normally, none has lost height, and no fracture is seen.

Key points

  • Disc-osteophyte complex with bony spurs at the lowest levels — common, age-related wear.
  • Vertebrae are normally aligned, with no slippage seen.
  • No compression fracture and no loss of vertebral height on this scan.

Excerpt shown for illustration. Your report is generated from your own scan.

How to analyze your spine CT

From a folder of DICOM slices to a plain-language report in minutes.

  1. 1 Select the folder containing your spine CT DICOM files (.dcm) — from a CD, USB stick, or your patient portal download.
  2. 2 Preview the slices in the free online viewer to confirm you've picked the right series.
  3. 3 Upload the series for AI analysis (a quick sign-up is needed for your first report).
  4. 4 Read your plain-language spine CT report in minutes, then ask follow-up questions about any finding.

Why ReadYourLab for your spine CT

Built for patients, honest about its limits.

Reads the whole 3D volume

The AI analyzes your full stack of slices as a 3D volume, understanding how findings connect across levels — not one flat image at a time.

Severity-coded, plain language

Findings are explained in words you can actually use, flagged by how much attention they typically warrant, with a chat for follow-up questions.

Private by design

Your scan is encrypted in transit and at rest, never sold, and you can delete it at any time. GDPR compliant.

Analyze another scan

ReadYourLab explains CT, MRI, and X-ray findings across the body.

Spine MRI

MRI

Discs, nerves, stenosis, and grades like Pfirrmann and Modic — explained in plain language.

View analysis

Knee MRI

MRI

Meniscus, ACL, cartilage wear, and Baker's cyst — what your knee MRI findings mean.

View analysis

Brain MRI

MRI

White matter spots, small vessel disease, the Fazekas scale, and incidental findings — explained.

View analysis

Shoulder MRI

MRI

Rotator cuff and labral tears, tendinosis, bursitis, and frozen shoulder — what your findings mean.

View analysis

Chest X-ray

X-ray

Consolidation, pleural fluid, heart size, and nodules — what your chest X-ray findings mean.

View analysis

Knee X-ray

X-ray

Joint space narrowing, bone spurs, the Kellgren–Lawrence grade, and fractures — explained.

View analysis

Spine X-ray

X-ray

Disc space narrowing, spondylosis, slippage, curvature, and fractures — explained in plain language.

View analysis

Hand & Wrist X-ray

X-ray

Wrist fractures, hand arthritis, joint space narrowing, and bone spurs — what your findings mean.

View analysis

Foot & Ankle X-ray

X-ray

Ankle fractures, heel spurs, bunions, and arthritis — what your foot X-ray findings mean.

View analysis

Chest CT

CT

Lung nodules, ground-glass, emphysema, and scarring — what your chest CT findings mean.

View analysis

Cardiac CT

CT

Coronary calcium score, artery narrowing, and heart findings — what your cardiac CT means.

View analysis

Spine CT analysis — frequently asked questions

Common questions about AI spine CT analysis, uploads, and privacy.

Can AI read my spine CT?
Yes. Upload your lumbar, cervical, or thoracic spine CT (the folder of DICOM slices) and the AI produces a plain-language explanation of the findings — bone spurs, disc-osteophyte complexes, alignment and slippage, fractures, and canal narrowing — in a few minutes, with severity-coded findings and a summary. It's an educational first look to help you understand your report and prepare questions, not a diagnosis or a replacement for your radiologist.

How do I upload a CT — do I need the whole folder of slices?
Yes — a CT is hundreds of DICOM (.dcm) slices that together form a 3D volume, so you select the whole folder rather than a single image. You can drag in a folder from a CD, USB stick, or your patient-portal download; the viewer lets you preview and pick the right series before analysis.

CT or MRI — which is better for the spine?
They show different things. CT shows bone in fine detail and is excellent for fractures and bony spurs; MRI shows the discs, nerves, and spinal cord far better. Many back problems are assessed with both. If you also have a spine MRI, you can upload it separately for a dedicated spine MRI analysis.

Is my CT kept private?
Yes. Your scan is encrypted in transit and at rest, is never shared with third parties or sold, and you can delete it at any time. ReadYourLab is GDPR compliant.

Is this a diagnosis or a replacement for my doctor?
No. ReadYourLab is an educational tool, not a medical device, and does not provide a diagnosis. The AI can be wrong — it may miss real findings or describe ones that aren't clinically important. Always review your results with your own doctor, and seek prompt care for leg weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness in the saddle area.

Understand your spine CT today

Your first AI report is free — no credit card required.

Analyze My Spine CT