Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging analysis correlates with surgical outcome of cervical spinal cord injury without radiologic evidence of trauma

Study design: Prospective study. Objectives: To investigate whether pre- and post-operative changes of signal intensity (SI) and transverse area (TA) of the spinal cord on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reflect the surgical outcome in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) without radiologic evidence of trauma (SCIWORET). Setting: The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Methods: In 36 consecutive prospective patients, MRI was performed pre-operatively and 3 months post-operatively. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale and the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) motor score (AMS) were used to quantify neurologic status at admission and at least 12-month follow-up. Pre- and post-operative TA, range of signal intensity (RSI), grayscale of signal intensity (GSI) and prevertebral hyperintensities (PVHs) were measured using the image analysis software. Pre-operative status and post-operative recovery were assessed in relation to MRI parameters pre- and post-operatively using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Pre-operative JOA and AMS score negatively correlates RSI, GSI and PVH. There was no significant correlation between pre-operative TA and pre-operative JOA and AMS. Recovery rate with JOA negatively correlates pre-operative RSI, post-operative RSI, pre-operative GSI, post-operative GSI and PVH. There was a significant negative correlation between recovery rate with AMS and pre-operative RSI, post-operative GSI and PVH. From these results of multivariate stepwise regression analysis, the predictors of surgical outcomes are pre-operative GSI and pre-operative RSI. Conclusion: Quantitative MRI analysis may provide reliable information for the prediction of the initial neurological status and surgical outcome of patients with SCIWORET.