What conditions are diagnosed with a spine x-ray?

Spinal X-rays can diagnose arthritis of the joints between the vertebrae, the breakdown of the discs between the spinal bones, fractures, dislocations and various other disorders, states WebMD. Spinal X-rays can also help doctors observe changes after surgery.

Cervical, thoracic, lumbosacral and sacrum X-rays are the main four types, notes WebMD. The most common are cervical and lumbosacral X-rays, also called C-spine films and LS-spine films, respectively. C-spine films take pictures of the seven neck bones, while LS-spine films take pictures of the five bones of the lower back and the five fused bones at the bottom of the spine.