Reinterpretation of imaging of non-bony structures of the spine / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Imaging is an essential tool in the management of spinal disorders. Most spine surgeons focus on bony structures and the spinal cord when reading imaging examinations, while the interpretation of the morphology and characteristics of soft tissues such as paraspinal muscles and fat has been a "relative blind spot". As the imaging features of the non-bony structures of the spine have been studied and reinterpreted, it has become clear that these non-bony structural changes are also associated with spinal diseases. Soft tissue parameters such as "paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area," "subcutaneous fat thickness," and "paraspinal muscle fat infiltration rate" on CT, MRI, and other imaging studies have been shown to play a role in spine diseases, and have been shown to be reproducible in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of spinal disorders and have potential for clinical application. In addition, the association of sarcopenia and spinal epidural lipomatosis with spinal disorders is gaining attention. In recent years, with a better understanding of the pathogenesis of spinal disorders, techniques such as 3D gait analysis and photographic postural measurement have also shown promise in the diagnosis and assessment of the outcome of degenerative spinal disorders and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. In view of this, this article summarizes the latest research progress in the basic and clinical aspects of non-bony structures of the spine and analyzes the significance of the imaging features of these non-bony structures in the basic research and diagnosis of spinal diseases.