Study: MRI for Spine Surgery May Lead to Unnecessary Surgery

Spine

When the MRI is used in isolated guide treatment for detecting posterior ligmentous complex, a high rate of false-positive findings may lead to unnecessary surgery, according to an article published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Researchers examined postoperative cases where patients with acute cervical spine injury required posterior surgical treatment and found a correlation between the MRI and intraoperative findings. The MRI sensitivity was greatest with cervical fascia (100 percent) and lowest for facet capsules (80 percent). The positive predictive value ranged from 42 percent to 82 percent.

The researchers concluded that while the MRI is sensitive enough for evaluating injury to the posterior ligamentous complex in the setting of acute cervical trauma, it has a low positive predictive value. This means images can be over-read, resulting in unnecessary surgery.

Read the abstract for "Assessment of the Posterior Ligamentous Complex Following Acute Cervical Spine Trauma."

Read more coverage on spine surgery studies:

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