MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE SPINE - AN INITIAL EXPERIENCE

Retrospective analysis was carried out for 477 magnetic resonance imag ing (MRI) studies of the spine. The overall mean age +/- SD of the ent ire series was 38.7 +/- 12.9 years. Degenerative spinal lesions and pr olapsed intervertebral disks were detected in 62% and 73% of all the s tudies and of those which showed spinal abnormalities respectively. Po stoperative granulation tissue was the third most common abnormality d etected (12%). MRI was superior to computed tomography (CT) and CT mye lograms in the diagnosis of disk prolapse (97% versus 66%), degenerati ve disease of the spine (94% versus' 48%), and postsurgical granulatio n tissue (100% versus 6%). Comparing the numbers of CT and CT myelogra ms requested in the year prior to the installation of the MRT. to the numbers requested during the year where the MRI was functioning did no t show any change in the frequency of ordering CT studies. We conclude that our hospital-based series has shown an interesting pattern for s pinal disorders. The first year experience of the utilization of MRI i n various spinal diseases has been satisfactory with prevailing diagno stic superiority for that modality.