The significance of imaging examinations such as X-ray, CT and MRI in patients with cervical spondylosis To observe pathological changes in cervical spondylosis, imaging examinations such as X-ray, CT and MRI each have their own strengths and clinical significance, and all have their certain indications, which should be reasonably selected according to the condition. Conventional X-ray film can directly observe the bony structure of the cervical spine, and can determine fractures, slippage, tuberculosis, tumors, scoliosis and other lesions. However, changes in the spinal cord, intervertebral discs and other soft tissues can only be inferred through secondary bony changes; CT can clearly show the morphology and size of bony structures such as the spinal canal, and to a certain extent, it can also observe changes in the spinal cord, intervertebral discs and other non-bony structures, and determine whether there are occupying lesions in the spinal canal and their scope and nature, and is most commonly used to determine cervical disc herniation, cervical spinal stenosis, fractures, tumors, etc.; MRI has no MRI is free of ionizing radiation and can show multi-segmental lesions in the sagittal, cross-sectional and coronal planes, and has high resolution of soft tissues, and is most commonly used to determine cervical disc herniation, spinal cord tumors, inflammation, etc. However, the resolution of bony structures is poor, so it is not easy to observe hypertrophy of small joints and changes in the lateral saphenous fossa. The imaging results are only an objective description of the disease, and it is difficult to determine the type and nature of the disease based on imaging alone. Doctors often need to take a detailed medical history and conduct a thorough physical examination, then conduct a comprehensive analysis and refer to the imaging results in order to make the correct diagnosis and treatment plan. It is especially important to note that imaging examinations such as X-ray, CT and MRI may have positive changes in people without neck, shoulder and arm pain, and may not always have clinical significance in people with cervical spondylosis. For example, some people have a herniated cervical disc on CT and MRI, but do not have clinical manifestations of cervical spondylosis such as neck, shoulder and arm pain or numbness, so we can only say that they have pathological manifestations of cervical disc degeneration, not cervical spondylosis. In addition, what we often call cervical spine osteophytes is essentially the result of cervical disc degeneration, cervical segment instability and organism compensation, which includes vertebral body edge hyperplasia and small joint hyperplasia. Many middle-aged and elderly people who do not have a history of cervical shoulder and arm pain have cervical spine X-rays suggesting osteophytes, but hyperplasia is only called when it provokes or compresses the corresponding tissues, such as nerve roots and spinal cord, and produces clinical symptoms “disease”; therefore, the imaging results can be referred to but not relied upon.