Cervical spine MRI findings in symptomatic traumatic patients with normal CT

Abstract

MRI of the cervical spine has been reported to have better sensitivity than CT for detecting soft tissue and ligamentous injuries that may contribute to occult instability of the cervical spine. The aim of this study is to evaluation of cervical spine MRI findings in symptomatic trauma patients with normal CT. Materials and Methods: This study was as cross-sectional descriptive-analytical and the target population was symptomatic trauma patients with normal CT referred to Imam Reza of Tabriz Hospital in 2023. The sample size in this study was 120 cases. The sampling method in this study was available or easy. In this study, patients with blunt neck trauma with a normal CT scan of the neck but with symptoms (including severe neck pain, sensory and motor symptoms related to possible neck injuries or decreased level of consciousness in which neurological examinations are not reliable) were included in the study and they were subjected to MRI of the neck and finally the relationship between MRI findings and positive findings and spinal cord injury was investigated. Results: In this study, the mean (standard deviation) age of the studied patients was 45.06 (±18.6) years. The most gender in the studied patients was male with 80 cases (66.7%). According to MRI findings in the studied subjects, ligament injury in 4 cases (3.3%), prevertebral soft tissue injury in 3 cases (2.5%), edema and spinal cord injury in 2 cases (1.7%) and disc injuries in 5 cases (4.2%). Among ligament, prevertebral soft tissue and disc injuries, only disc injuries with edema and spinal cord injury in the studied patients, a statistically significant relationship was observed (P=0.001); On the other hand, no statistically significant relationship was observed between ligament and prevertebral soft tissue injuries with edema and spinal cord injury in the studied patients (P>0.05).