Better Cervical Imaging With Digital Tomosynthesis?

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Digital tomosynthesis (DTS), a technology widely employed for breast imaging, is demonstrating promising diagnostic potential in spinal applications—specifically, to evaluate cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). A recent study published in the European Spine Journal highlights DTS as a reliable imaging modality for assessing cervicothoracic sagittal alignment and identifying structural changes associated with CSM.

What Is Digital Tomosynthesis?

DTS employs x-ray imaging to capture multiple angled projections of anatomical structures, which are then reconstructed into a quasi-three-dimensional image. In soft tissue imaging—most notably in breast cancer screening—DTS has shown superior accuracy over conventional 2D mammography, with improved detection of small lesions and fewer false positives and negatives.