Can MRI findings predict the outcome of cervical spinal cord Injury? a systematic review

Introduction MRI is the established gold standard for imaging acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Our aim was to identify the prognostic value, in terms of neurological outcome, of extradural and intradural features detected on MRI performed acutely following traumatic cervical SCI. Materials and methods Several databases were systematically searched to identify potentially eligible articles until December 2019. Using a standard PRISMA template, 2606 articles were initially identified. Results A final 6 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. An extradural factor, namely the maximal spinal cord compression, was associated with poor neurological outcome and statistically significant ( P = 0.02 and P = 0.001 in 2 out of 3 studies). The intradural factors of length of the cord edema ( P = 0.001, P = 0.006, and P