MR-IMAGING OF THE SPINAL-CORD AFTER TREAT MENT OF THE CERVICAL-SPINE WITH TITANIUM IMPLANTS

We present the cases of ten patients who underwent postoperative magne tic resonance assessment after dislocation injuries of the cervical sp ine and treatment with anterior interbody fusion and titanium implants . Eight patients had spinal cord injuries and two had nerve root disor ders. In two patients who had intracranial haematomas and dislocation fractures of the cervical spine, MRI proved useful for identification of parenchymal spinal cord injuries as the reason for transverse lesio ns. Severe MR findings of the parenchymal spinal cord injuries (haemat oma or transection) correlated with complete transverse lesions (4 pat ients) and oedema of the spinal cord, with incomplete transverse lesio ns (3 patients). MR enables us to examine the spinal cord after operat ions to ensure that correct spinal cord decompression has been achieve d (3 patients). MRI is useful for detecting disc protrusion or chronic spinal stenosis in patients with titanium implants. All in all, MRI i s an important modality in the evaluation of the posttraumatic cervica l spine.