ROUTINE PREOPERATIVE MRI AND SEP STUDIES IN ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS

In this prospective study, 72 patients with the clinical diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis underwent routine preoperative magneti c resonance imaging (MRI) scans and neurologic consultations. Forty-ei ght patients also had preoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SE Ps). All patients had normal neurologic examinations. Abnormal finding s included two patients with Chiari type I malformation and one with a finding of a fatty collection in a vertebral body. In four cases, int erpretation of the MRI was suspicious or equivocal, necessitating a co mputed tomography myelogram or other additional studies for clarificat ion. Abnormal preoperative SEP results were obtained in three patients , none of which proved significant. All surgical patients underwent in strumentation and fusion without incident. The results indicate that r outine preoperative SEP is not necessary. Routine preoperative MRI is probably not indicated in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis if the patie nt has a normal neurologic examination.