Post-traumatic chronic spinal cord injury: assessment with MRI

ABSTRACT

The initial experience concerning the use of magnetic resonance imaging in 94 patients who had sustained chronic cord injury showed its specific advantages over traditional imaging modalities. A variety of 84 cord abnormalities were identified including myelomalacia in 47%, cord cysts in 37%, focal atrophy in 11% and cord transection in 5%. Canal stenosis was seen in twenty-five patients, eleven of which were associated with herniated nucleus pulposus. The time interval post-injury varied from 5 months to 10 years which was independent of the type of injury. Myelopathy was usually observed at the site of initial injury. Although the majority of patients had cervical spine injuries [56%], the thoracic spinal cord appeared more susceptible to cyst development [40%]