MRI Evaluation in Acute Spinal Trauma in Tertiary Center of Nepal

Abstract

IntroductionSpine injury is one of the leading caused for disability in Nepal. Patients with trauma relatedspine injury leads to neurological dysfunction, focal deficits and even fatal life threating events.The timely intervention in acute spinal trauma injury could save the patients from disability andmortality risk. Imaging modalities like Xray, CT Scan and MRI helps in diagnosis and managementof spinal trauma. MRI plays crucial role in detection of spinal cord and soft tissue injuries. It issuperior than CT scan in evaluation of spinal cord injuries, ligament, soft issue structures, disc,and occult osseous injuries. The objective of this research is to evaluate MRI in acute spinal traumain tertiary center of Nepal. MethodsThis is descriptive hospital based observational study in those patients who were admitted andreferred in hospital for MRI with acute spinal trauma injury. Data were analysed by SPSS 2022. ResultsAcute spinal trauma is most common in male with ratio of 1.7 with the mean±SD of age was foundto be 50.98±19.26 years. Most common mode of injury were fall injury (76%). Most common spinalregion involved were lumbar (42%) followed by thoracic (36%), dorso-lumbar (14%) and cervical(8%) region respectively. Spinal cord contusion with edema, disc rupture, paravertebral collectionand ligament injury were seen. Most common type of fractures were simple compression fracture(72%), followed by burst fracture (16%), both (6%) and listhesis and sub/dislocations (6%). Spinalcord injury were seen in 22%, followed by disc rupture, paravertebral collection and ligamentinjury. ConclusionsMRI helps in evaluating vertebrae, spinal cord, ligament and disc injuries. We can assess the cordcontusion, edema and canal compression. It provides involvement, extension and severity of cordinjury. It endowed about outcome of surgery as well as conservative management in patient ofspinal injury.