MRI of degenerative disease of the spine

Description: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is being increasingly applied for the evaluation of degenerative disc disease in preference to x-ray computed tomography (CT). Unlike the comparison of MRI and CT in the brain, however, there is still a significant number of uses for CT in the evaluation of the extramedullary spinal column. Some of these relative advantages depend on how thin an axial slice one can provide, particularly in the cervical spine and therefore, comparison is partially dependent on field strength. MRI is useful in the diagnosis of disc dehydration with associated bulging of the annulus fibrosis, disc herniation, secondary nerve root displacement, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, traumatic abnormalities of alignment, and metastatic disease of the bony spine/epidural space. MRI is also useful in the evaluation of the failed post-operative spine using Gadolinium chelates.
William G. Bradley, Jr, M.D.