MR-IMAGING OF SPINAL TRAUMA

Purpose: To assess the value of MR imaging in the acute and chronic st ages of spinal trauma. Methods: 126 MR examinations of 120 patients we re evaluated retrospectively. In 15 cases of acute spinal cord injury, correlation of MR findings with the degree of neurological deficit an d eventual recovery was undertaken. Results: Cord anomalies in the acu te stage were seen in 16 patients. Intramedullary haemorrhage (n = 6) and cord transection (n = 2) were associated with complete injuries an d poor prognosis, whereas patients with cord oedema (n = 7) had incomp lete injuries and recovered significant neurological function. In the chronic stage, MR findings included persistent cord compression in 8 p atients, syringomyelia or post-traumatic cyst in 12, myelomalacia in 6 , cord atrophy in 9, and cord transection in 7 patients. Conclusion: I n acute spinal trauma, MR proved useful in assessing spinal card compr ession and instability. In addition, direct visualisation and characte risation of posttraumatic changes within the spinal cord may offer new possibilities in establishing the prognosis for neurological recovery . In the later stages, potentially remediable causes of persistent or progressive symptoms, such as chronic spinal cord compression or syrin gomyelia can be distinguished from other sequelae of spinal trauma, su ch as myelomalacia, cord transection or atrophy.