Clinical Significance Of Preoperative Increased Signal Intensity On Magnetic Resonance Imaging-T_ 2 Weighted In Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Objective:To investigate correlation between the clinical characteristic andpreoperative increased signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-T₂weighted in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy ( CSM ) surgically treatedby cervical anterior decompress approach.Methods: Selected patients with CSM who underwent cervical anterior decompresssurgery and had preoperative MRI performed in one tertiary hospital. By reviewingthese clinical cases ,their ages,duration of disease,contact information,MRIreport ,preoperative JOA were recorded .Postoperative JOA and the recovery ratiowere followed -up.These patients were classified by preoperative increased signalintensity on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-T₂ weighted through reading MRIreport as:normal T₁/normal T₂(A group ),normal T₁/long T₂(B group ), long T₁/longT₂(C group ).Results Final follow-up 48 cases,33men,15women, A,B,C groups respectively had21,22,5 cases. Compression mostly is tri-segment(66.67%).Compression and increasedsignal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-T₂ weighted mostly appear in C5-6( percentage respectively is 89.58% and 59.26%). There was not statisticallysignificant difference in age, duration of disease , follow-up time duringA,B,C group(P>0.05). A group has higher preoperative JOA,postoperative followed -up JOAand the recovery ratio than C group . a statistically significant difference in wasshown between A group and C group(P<0.05). B group has higher preoperativeJOA,postoperative followed -up JOA and the recovery ratio than C group . astatistically significant difference in was shown between B group and C group(P<0.05).Conclusions Most compression is tri-segment in subaxial cervical spine.Spinal cordcompression and increased signal intensity on MRIT₂ with CSM mostly appear inC5-6. Increased signal intensity on MRIT₂ with CSM have noting with age , durationof disease .The preoperative long T₁/long T₂ signal in CSM patients have lowerpreoperative JOA,postoperative followed -up JOA and the recovery ratio. Thepreoperative long T₁/long T₂ signal in CSM patients can be a prognosis to estimate bad postoperative recovery.The preoperative normal T₁/normal T₂,normal T₁/long T₂signal in patients with CSM could have a good recovery.