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Updated: May 24, 2026
Intraoperative Ultrasound in Spinal Surgery
Published on: August 17, 2022
The role of MRI in spinal stab wounds compared with intraoperative findings
Stephan Emich1, Friedrich Weymayr, Jürgen Steinbacher
1Department of Neurosurgery, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Ignaz Harrer Str. 79, 5020, Salzburg, Austria. s.emich@salk.at
Introduction:
Spinal stab wound injuries are quite rare and only few patients have been reported on the basis of MRI scan.
Methods:
A 25-year-old man was stabbed at C1/2 and had an incomplete Brown-Sequard syndrome. He underwent surgical exploration because of CSF leakage on the fourth day.
Results:
After a follow-up period of 32 months, he was left with a remaining loss of the proprioception of the right foot. We show detailed CT and MR images with the focus on the lesions of the dura and myelon and compared them with intraoperative images. In addition, we contrast our findings with a review of literature published over the last three decades.
Conclusion:
MRI gives the most detailed view of soft tissue lesions in SSWs and is in accordance with our intraoperative findings.
Insights
Spinal stab wound injuries are rare. MRI provides detailed views of soft tissue damage, aligning with surgical findings for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Spinal stab wound injuries (SSWs) are infrequent, with limited reported cases utilizing MRI.
- This study details a rare case of a C1/2 stab wound.
Observation:
- A 25-year-old male presented with an incomplete Brown-Sequard syndrome after a C1/2 stab injury.
- Surgical exploration was performed on the fourth day due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.
Findings:
- The patient experienced residual proprioception loss in the right foot after 32 months.
- Detailed CT and MR imaging correlated with intraoperative findings, focusing on dura and myelon lesions.
- Literature review over three decades was conducted for comparative analysis.
Implications:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers the most comprehensive visualization of soft tissue lesions in SSWs.
- Findings align with intraoperative observations, enhancing diagnostic accuracy for spinal trauma.
