Magnetic resonance imaging of spinal injury

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 30 patients following spinal injury (SI). Spin-echo sequences and surface coils were used for all patients. Plain radiographs, high-resolution computed tomography (CT), and MRI were compared for the delineation of bone, disc, and ligament injury, measurement of sagittal spinal canal diameter and subluxation, epidural hematoma, and spinal cord structure. Myelography or intrathecal contrast-enhanced CT were not performed on any of these patients. Magnetic resonance imaging accurately delineated intraspinal pathology in two of four patients with acute penetrating SI, and was normal in the other two patients. In 16 patients with acute nonpenetrating SI, MRI was superior to CT for visualizing injuries to discs, ligaments, and the spinal cord, while CT was superior to MRI in characterizing bony injury. Computed tomography and MRI provided similar measurements of subluxation in six of six patients and of sagittal spinal canal diameter in three of four patients. In ten patients with chronic SI, MRI demonstrated post-traumatic cysts, myelomalacia, spinal cord edema, and the presence or absence of spinal cord compression. In patients with acute penetrating SI and chronic SI, MRI provided comprehensive clinical information. In patients with acute nonpenetrating SI, the information obtained by MRI complemented the data given by plain radiographs and CT, allowing clinical decisions to be made without the need of invasive imaging modalities.