title: MRI evaluation of fusion mass incorporation after anterior cervical bony fusions: preliminary findings.
abstract: While Modic has described certain MRI changes in bone grafts in patients after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACF), no study has evaluated specific MRI signal changes in the fusion mass prospectively and longitudinally. The goal of the present study was to prospectively evaluate MRI changes in ACF grafts in a longitudinal fashion. Twenty-seven MRIs were included in the evaluation of seven postoperative patients. MRIs were obtained in a 1.5 tesla GE imager immediately postoperatively, and at 1, 3, and 6 months in most patients. All patients received at least three sequential MRIs. Two patients had greater than one level fused. T1 and T2 images were evaluated in all patients at each available interval. GRASS images were not found to be helpful secondary to a prohibitive amount of noise. For single level fusion masses, T1 images showed a very intense homogeneous graft signal in the immediate postoperative period which decreased slightly at 1 month. At 3 months the signal intensity of the graft was similar to the 1 month image, but was slightly less homogeneous. At 6 months, the T1 signal had greatly decreased in much of the graft. Immediate postoperative specimens showed heterogeneously high signal on T2 images which increased at 1 month in the whole graft, and then seemed to increase at the endplates while decreasing in the graft at 3 months. At 6 months the graft was becoming difficult to delineate on T2 images in many specimens. The two and three level fusions had a more heterogeneous image progression without clear evidence of solid fusion at 6 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Flanders
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Balderston
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cotler
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome