Experiences of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of spinal canal disorders

MR images of 153 patients with spinal canal diseases (disk hernia 80, spondylosis 45, ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament 24 and ossification of yellow ligament 4) were evaluated at 0.5T. Spin echo with a Tr 600ms and a Te 40ms (SE 600/40) sagittal, SE 2,000/120 sagittal, and SE 1,000/40 transaxial images were routinely obtained. In each of spinal canal diseases, herniated disk, degenerative spur, calcified ligaments, displaced and/or deformed cord, dural sac, and epidural fat were well demonstrated. Transaxial images demonstrated the laterality of the lesions and better anatomical relations between pathological lesions and normal spinal structures. We recommend that transaxial images should be routinely obtained in addition to sagittal images for better evaluation of various spinal canal disorders. (author)