[Magnetic resonance tomography in spinal cord trauma]

A total of 44 patients with sequelae of spinal injuries in the periods of 2 months to 46 years were studied by X-ray, neurological and NMR techniques and divided into 3 groups: (1) those with open injuries, (2) those with closed injuries concurrent with compression of the spinal marrow and/or roots of the cauda equina; 3) those with closed injuries without compression. It was shown that NMR tomography enabled the status of the vertebral canal and spinal marrow to be assessed and indications for surgical interventions to be specified. Spinal compression may in later periods result in post-traumatic progressive myelopathy appeared as atrophy of the spinal marrow and myelomalacia (with cyst formation in 18% of cases). The syndrome of progressive myelopathy does not generally develop in patients without spinal compression.