• Spine · Jul 2007

    MR T2 image classification in cervical compression myelopathy: predictor of surgical outcomes.

    • Yasutsugu Yukawa, Fumihiko Kato, Hisatake Yoshihara, Makoto Yanase, and Keigo Ito.
    • Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
    • Spine. 2007 Jul 1;32(15):1675-8; discussion 1679.

    Study DesignProspective imaging study of patients undergoing surgery for cervical compressive myelopathy. OBJECTIVES.: To investigate whether the classification of increased signal intensity (ISI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with cervical compressive myelopathy reflects the severity of symptoms and surgical outcome.Summary Of Background DataThe association between ISI and surgical outcome in cervical myelopathy remains controversial. The degree of ISI has not been well discussed.MethodsA total of 104 patients with cervical compressive myelopathy were prospectively enrolled. All were treated with cervical expansive laminoplasty. MRI was performed in all patients before surgery. ISI of spinal cord was classified into three groups based on sagittal T2-weighted images as follows: Grade 0, none; Grade 1, light (obscure); and Grade 2, intense (bright). The severity of myelopathy was evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for cervical myelopathy.ResultsEighty-six patients (83%) showed ISI before surgery. Patients with ISI were significantly older, and had a longer duration of disease, a lower postoperative JOA score, and a worse postoperative recovery rate of JOA score than those without ISI. Preoperative MRI showed 18 patients in Grade 0, 49 patients in Grade 1, and 37 in Grade 2. Duration of disease was the shortest in Grade 0 and longest in Grade 2. Although there was no significant difference in preoperative JOA scores among the three groups, Grade 0 patients had a higher postoperative JOA score and the best postoperative recovery, and Grade 2 had a lower postoperative JOA score and the worst postoperative recovery.ConclusionPreoperative ISI on T2-weighted sagittal MRI was correlated with patient age, duration of disease, postoperative JOA score, and postoperative recovery rate. Patients with the greatest ISI had the worst postop erative recovery. Classification of ISI can be a predictor of surgical outcome.

      Pubmed     Full text   Copy Citation     Plaintext  

      Add institutional full text...

    Notes

     
    Knowledge, pearl, summary or comment to share?
    300 characters remaining
    help        
    You can also include formatting, links, images and footnotes in your notes
    • Simple formatting can be added to notes, such as *italics*, _underline_ or **bold**.
    • Superscript can be denoted by <sup>text</sup> and subscript <sub>text</sub>.
    • Numbered or bulleted lists can be created using either numbered lines 1. 2. 3., hyphens - or asterisks *.
    • Links can be included with: [my link to pubmed](http://pubmed.com)
    • Images can be included with: ![alt text](https://bestmedicaljournal.com/study_graph.jpg "Image Title Text")
    • For footnotes use [^1](This is a footnote.) inline.
    • Or use an inline reference [^1] to refer to a longer footnote elseweher in the document [^1]: This is a long footnote..

    hide…