Article
Dynamic real-time MRI examination of the cervical spine using the Neuro-Swing System
Dynamische real-time MRT-Untersuchung der Halswirbelsäule mit den NeuroSwing-System
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Published: | May 8, 2006 |
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Objective: Dynamic MRI examinations of the cervical spine could not be carried out up to now. Routinely performed static examination might be insufficient in the diagnosis of a stenotic problem of the spinal canal especially when symptoms only occur in a specific position. Latest developments enable real-time dynamic examinations in neutral position as well as ante- and retroflexion using a dynamic hardware-system designed for the cervical spine.
We report our experience using the dynamic Neuro-Swing™ System (Hightech-Electronic/Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany).
Methods: 25 patients with symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis were included into this study. All exams were performed using a 1.5 Tesla scanner (SIEMENS Magnetom Sonata, Siemens Medical Erlangen, Germany). The patients were measured in neutral position, in dynamic anteflexion and retroflexion. Interactively patients set their individual limits of movement during the scan. The dynamic scans were performed within 51 seconds using a real-time TrueFisp (SSFP) sequence with a slice thickness of 4 mm and a temporal resolution of 2.5 images per second.
Results: The averaged degrees in anteflexion and retroflexion were 42.6 and 44.6 respectively. A significant increase of the spinal stenosis during movement was found in five patients.
Conclusions: Real-time dynamic examination of the cervical spine might be a useful completion to the conventional static examination and allows a more precise allocation of the symptoms in some cases.