MR imaging of subchondral osteonecrosis of the vertebral body after percutaneous laser diskectomy.
OBJECTIVE
We describe four cases of subchondral osteonecrosis of the vertebral body that occurred after percutaneous laser diskectomy. Follow-up MR imaging after laser intervention showed abnormal findings in the vertebral body immediately adjacent to the site of diskectomy that are consistent with subchondral osteonecrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
MR imaging features of this complication include a wedge-shaped low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, high and low signal intensities on T2-weighted images, and a contrast-enhanced area corresponding to high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Possible causative mechanisms include thermal injury and photoacoustic shock.
Tonami
H
H
Department of Radiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku, Ishikawa, Japan.
Kuginuki
M
M
Kuginuki
Y
Y
Matoba
M
M
Yokota
H
H
Higashi
K
K
Yamamoto
I
I
Nishijima
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*