More articles from SPINE IMAGING AND SPINE IMAGE-GUIDED INTERVENTIONS
- Bone-Subtracted Spinal CT Angiography Using Nonrigid Registration for Better Visualization of Arterial Feeders in Spinal Arteriovenous Fistulas
CTA images of the arterial and late arterial phases were used to obtain warped images of the late arterial phase by nonrigid registration that was adjusted to the arterial phase images. R-CTA images were then obtained by subtracting the warped images from the arterial phase images. R-CTA had a higher accuracy compared with conventional spinal CTA (80% versus 47%). The authors conclude that subtracted CTA imaging using nonrigid registration detects feeders of spinal arteriovenous fistulas more accurately and quickly than conventional CTA.
- CT Metal Artifact Reduction in the Spine: Can an Iterative Reconstruction Technique Improve Visualization?
CT images were reconstructed by using weighted filtered back-projection and iterative metal artifact reduction. Two neuroradiologists evaluated images in the region of spinal hardware and assigned a score for the visualization of critical anatomic structures by using soft-tissue and bone windows. Using bone windows, they measured the length of the most pronounced linear artifacts. Visualization of critical soft-tissue anatomic structures was significantly improved by using iterative metal artifact reduction, but there was not a significant improvement in visualization of critical osseous structures. Routine generation of these iterative reconstructed images in addition to routine weighted filtered back-projection is recommended.
- Transmedullary Venous Anastomoses: Anatomy and Angiographic Visualization Using Flat Panel Catheter Angiotomography
Previously only defined by postmortem analysis, the use of flat panel catheter angiotomography allows definition of spinal cord transmedullary venous anastomoses.
- Incidence of Inadvertent Intravascular Injection during CT Fluoroscopy–Guided Epidural Steroid Injections
Retrospective analysis of 575 CT fluoroscopy-guided epidural injections was done to detect inadvertent arterial or venous injections. Intravascular injections occurred in 26% of cervical transforaminal injections, 9% of cervical interlaminar injections, 8% of lumbar transforaminal injections, and 2% of lumbar interlaminar injections. These findings are similar to previous reports using conventional fluoroscopy and demonstrate that intravascular injections may be detected with CT fluoroscopy.
- Validation of Multisociety Combined Task Force Definitions of Abnormal Disk Morphology
Fifty-four patients underwent classification of lumbar disk herniations during preoperative MRI and surgery using the new multisociety classification. Disagreement as to classification based on MRI studies occurred in only 1 instance and agreement of preoperative classification with operative findings was 70%. The authors believe that though this level of agreement is reasonable, differences exist between what neuroradiologists see on imaging and what surgeons encounter.
- Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations
This meta-analysis of the literature reveals that imaging findings of spine degeneration are present in high proportions of asymptomatic individuals, increasing with age. Many imaging-based degenerative features are likely part of normal aging and unassociated with pain.