title: The lumbar spine: postoperative magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: Persistent low back pain after surgery can be a severe diagnostic and therapeutic problem. By using MRI many causes of this failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) can be disclosed. MRI is superior to other imaging modalities in this concern. In this article we describe the MR technique, normal and abnormal findings of the postoperative lumbar spine, such as persistent or recurrent disc herniation, epidural scar, spinal stenosis, pseudomeningocele, arachnoiditis, pseudarthrosis, hematoma, and infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djukic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vahlensieck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Resendes
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Genant
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012008:Recurrence; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology