MR imaging findings in spinal ligamentous injury.

Abstract

linical instability of the spine after trauma occurs when the spinal ligaments and bones lose their ability to maintain normal alignment between vertebral segments while they are under a physiologic load. Instability can lead to further injury, pain, or deformity and can require surgical stabilization. MR imaging has been shown to be helpful in the detection of ligamentous injury [1]. The purpose of this study is to familiarize the reader with the MR imaging appearance of these injuries. This article is divided into three sections. The first illustrates injuries to the complex craniocervical junction. The second reviews the remainder of the spine, and the third addresses the technical factors that optimize the detection of spinal ligamentous injury. The importance of these MR findings is increasing as clinicians begin to compare outcomes and treatments for specific types of ligamentous injury detected on MR imaging