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Home › Radiology CE Courses › Radiology 202: Normal Variants of the Thoracic Spine
Radiology 202: Normal Variants of the Thoracic Spine — At a Glance
| Course | Radiology 202 · 2 CE hours · $40 |
| Faculty | Sandra Norton, DC, DACBR · Diplomate, American Chiropractic Board of Radiology |
| Format | Online, on-demand — start immediately |
| Pricing | $40 for 2 CE hours — $20 per hour; multi-course discounts apply automatically in the cart |
| Approval | PACE Provider #34015544 · TCC co-sponsored |
PACE Provider #34015544 · Co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College · Completions reported to CE Broker
The thoracic film carries more than the spine — ribs, the cardiac silhouette and the growing skeleton all have variants that read as disease to the untrained eye. Radiology 202 is the second course in the normal-variants sequence: a two-hour review of normal thoracic spine anatomy on the radiograph, the variants most often mistaken for pathology, the interpretation errors behind them, and the “don’t touch” lesions that contraindicate an adjustment.
Sandra Norton, DC, DACBR, closes with thoracic biomechanics and the pattern variations a chiropractor meets week to week — the measurements and signs a DC is expected to read, from the cardiothoracic ratio to Risser’s sign and the Cobb angle.
Where This Course Fits — Three Radiology Lanes
You are here: Lane 1, Radiology 202 — the second course in the normal-variants sequence (201 cervical, 202 thoracic, 204 lumbar). Seventeen courses organize into three working lanes: learn normal first, then trauma and degeneration, then the pathologies that change management.
1. Normal Variants — Read Normal First ◀ You are here
The foundation of interpretation: knowing the variant that mimics pathology, and the pathology that hides as a variant.
201: Cervical Spine Variants · 202: Thoracic Spine Variants · 204: Lumbar Spine Variants · 207: Introduction to Degenerative Disorders
2. Trauma & Degenerative Disease
The films your practice generates — acute trauma and the aging spine and extremities.
205: Cervical Trauma · 206: Thoracic & Lumbar Trauma · 203: Joint Degeneration of the Spine & Extremities · 208: Degenerative Conditions of the Pelvis & Leg · 209: Degenerative Conditions of the Upper Extremity
3. Arthropathies, Tumors & the Case-Study Trilogy
The findings that change management, and three case-study courses that train the eye on real films.
211: Rheumatoid Arthritis · 213: Seronegative Spondyloarthropathies · 214: Crystal Deposition Diseases · 216: Primary Bone-Forming Tumors · 218: Pediatric Radiology · 210, 212, 217: Case Studies in Radiology I–III
What You'll Learn
- Understand thoracic spine anatomy and avoid common diagnostic errors.
- Identify normal variants and distinguish them from pathological conditions.
- Learn about "don't touch" lesions and their significance.
- Explore thoracic biomechanics and common patterns to enhance your chiropractic care.
Reference
Reference: Cervical and Thoracic Spine: Normal Variants and Artifacts (book chapter). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-95441-7_6
Your Faculty
Sandra Norton, DC, DACBR — Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology. She teaches 12 of the 17 courses in this category: the complete normal-variants sequence, both trauma courses, the degenerative series, pediatric radiology and all three case-study courses — a radiologist’s residency curriculum, compressed for the practicing DC.
Also teaching in the category: Wesley Duval, DC, DACBR · Diplomate, American Chiropractic Board of Radiology · joint degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, the seronegative spondyloarthropathies, crystal deposition diseases and primary bone-forming tumors.
Credit, Reporting & State Rules
Radiology 202 is a 2-hour on-demand course, PACE-recognized and co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College — the approval pathway most boards accept for online chiropractic CE. Its approval list renders at the bottom of this page, straight from the course record; that list is the one to trust.
Radiology coursework is clinical subject matter — imaging interpretation, diagnosis and referral decision-making — which serves the clinical-hour structures many states impose, such as Iowa’s 36-hour clinical case-management minimum, Rhode Island’s 50-of-60 clinical requirement and Vermont’s clinical-focus rule. Most boards also cap the share of a renewal that can be earned online; check how your board counts it before relying on these hours for a specific requirement.
Texas: licensees can verify provider status through the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners. For every other state and province, start at the CE guidelines directory.
Build Your Radiology Block — or Take the Credential
$40 for 2 CE hours — $20 per hour. Take it after 201 and before 204 — the three normal-variants courses are one argument in three regions.
Multi-course discounts apply automatically in the cart — 10% at 6–9 hours, 20% at 10 or more, no promo code. The three-course normal-variants sequence (201, 202 and 204) is 6 hours: $108 instead of $120.
Building toward the credential? Radiology 201–212 make up the 24-hour Chiropractic Radiology Certification (CRC) bundle — a single $480 checkout, taught by DACBR faculty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Radiology 202 cover?
A two-hour review of the thoracic spine radiograph for chiropractors: normal anatomy and the common diagnostic errors made against it, the normal variants most often confused with pathology and how to distinguish them, “don’t touch” lesions and their significance, and thoracic biomechanics with the pattern variations seen in practice — including the cardiothoracic ratio, thoracic cage measurements, Risser’s sign for skeletal maturity and the Cobb angle for scoliosis. Also known as thoracic spine x-ray interpretation CE, thoracic radiographic anatomy CE, normal variants CE or chiropractic radiology CE.
Who teaches it, and is it for chiropractors?
Sandra Norton, DC, DACBR, a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology — the profession’s own imaging specialty board. The course is written for practicing chiropractors who order and read their own thoracic films, and it stays inside chiropractic scope: interpretation, differentiation and the referral decision. It is PACE-recognized and co-sponsored by Texas Chiropractic College.
My patient’s mid-back x-ray shows something odd — is it a variant or a problem?
That question is the course. The thoracic film is crowded — vertebrae, ribs, the heart shadow and, in younger patients, growth centers — and many findings are normal variants that mimic disease, while a smaller number are real lesions that hide as variants, including the “don’t touch” lesions that contraindicate an adjustment. Radiology 202 builds the habit of reading normal anatomy first, naming the common errors, and separating the variant from the pathology before any treatment decision is made.
How is the course delivered, and when do I get my certificate?
Recorded video you can watch on any device, with one year of access from purchase. Pass the short post-test and your certificate is available immediately. For states served by CE Broker, completion is reported automatically.
What should I take after Radiology 202?
Radiology 204 (lumbar spine) completes the normal-variants sequence; if you skipped it, Radiology 201 (cervical spine) is where the sequence starts. Then follow your caseload: 206 Thoracic & Lumbar Trauma for acute presentations, 207 Introduction to Degenerative Disorders for the aging spine. If you are building toward the credential, Radiology 201–212 make up the 24-hour Chiropractic Radiology Certification (CRC) bundle.
State approval and licensing reminder. Approval status for this course is listed below. Online-hour caps, subject classification and scope rules vary by board; confirm your own state’s rules before relying on this course for a specific requirement.
Ready for the thoracic film?
Radiology 202 · 2 CE hours · $40 · instant certificate
CCEDseminars · PACE Provider #34015544 · Reviewed by Monte Horne, DC · Last updated November 4, 2026 (CT)