Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluation of post traumatic Vertebral Column

Abstract

Background: Trauma of the vertebral column are potentially devastating as they may lead to significant neurological damage as the clinical and prognostic spectrum of the effects of spinal injuries is vast. Timely imaging studies can help mitigate these possibly life threatening complications. There is a dearth of studies that purely evaluate the role of MR imaging after spinal trauma. Aim: Hence, this study was undertaken to assess the ability of MRI in identifying traumatic injuries to the tissue structures of the spine. Methods: The study performed on 20 cases after spinal vertebral traumatic injuries that underwent MR imaging in the period 2016 till March 2018. The osseous and non-osseous structures namely; Para vertebral tissues, Vertebrae, Anterior Longitudinal Ligament (ALL), Posterior Longitudinal Ligament (PLL), Intervertebral Disc, Ligamentum Flavum, Interspinous Ligament (ISP) and the Spinal Cord were evaluated. The data were classified to; patient's age, sex, mode of trauma, region of imaging, main findings, associated findings and others. The statistically significant and non-significant relations between primary data and different post-traumatic findings of MRI were thus calculated. Results: Of the 20 patients, 85% of patients were male, common ages affected were 20-30 and >40 years with 30% for each. The site of injury was the cervical spine (30%) and thoracolumbar spine was the next highest in occurrence with 25%. L1 was the commonest level exposed to fracture (30%). Cord compression was the commonest MRI main finding in post trauma (60 %), but syrinx was (5%). In associated findings; the spinal muscles spasm was the commonest (40%) and ligamentum flavum injury comprised (15%). Bone marrow edema was the highest (35%) as other findings. There were statically significant relations between age and D12 vertebral fracture and between mode of trauma and facet joint affection.