Reducing decompression levels by diffusion tensor imaging and conventional magnetic resonance imaging in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis

• Published in: British journal of neurosurgery 2024-04, Vol.ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), p.1-7
• Main Authors: Chen, Hua-Biao, Huang, Yu-Liang, Chen, Min, Wu, Hong-Bo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Decompression, Surgical - methods; Degenerative disc disease; Diffuse tensor imagining; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Humans; Laminectomy; lumbar spinal stenosis; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - surgery; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Oswestry Disability Index; paraspinal mapping; Spinal stenosis; Spinal Stenosis - complications; Spinal Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Stenosis - surgery; Treatment Outcome; visual analog pain scale
• ISSN: 0268-8697; 1360-046X
• DOI: 10.1080/02688697.2020.1861432

The selection of a correct level in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) remains a common problem and is critically important to the effectiveness of this surgical treatment. Surgery is invasive, and extended laminectomy may lead to secondary surgical complications. The application of diffuse tensor imagining (DTI) and paraspinal mapping (PM) in addition to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) may be helpful in this respect. However, the superiority of cMRI + DTI over cMRI+ (DTI or PM) in reducing decompression has not yet been established. We compared the surgical levels, determined by cMRI + DTI and cMRI+ (DTI or PM) (self-control). Treatment outcome measurements were performed at two weeks, three months, six months, and twelve months postoperatively. The surgical levels determined by cMRI ± DTI showed less than that determined by cMRI± (DTI or PM) with statistically significant differences (p value = 0.0199) and cMRI ± PM with no statistically significant differences (p value = 0.5503). The effectiveness of cMRI ± DTI in the reduction of the surgical levels in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is superior than that of cMRI± (DTI or PM).