MRI of the spine and spinal cord: imaging techniques, normal anatomy, artifacts, and pitfalls

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to evaluate the spine and spinal cord.

In this article, MRI of the spine is discussed in terms of normal anatomy, standard and advanced imaging techniques, general indications, limitations, and potential for the future.

Although MRI does not provide the high bony detail possible with computed tomography, the appropriate combination of the sequences takes advantage of the different tissue characteristics to discriminate the various bony-and soft-tissue structures of the spine.

MRI enables the imaging specialist to evaluate a large anatomic region in multiple planes and can better examine the spinal cord.