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Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
Published in: Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Reducing surgical levels by paraspinal mapping and diffusion tensor imaging techniques in lumbar spinal stenosis

Authors: Hua-Biao Chen, Qi Wan, Qi-Feng Xu, Yi Chen, Bo Bai

Published in: Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Correlating symptoms and physical examination findings with surgical levels based on common imaging results is not reliable. In patients who have no concordance between radiological and clinical symptoms, the surgical levels determined by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurogenic examination (NE) may lead to a more extensive surgery and significant complications. We aimed to confirm that whether the use of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and paraspinal mapping (PM) techniques can further prevent the occurrence of false positives with conventional MRI, distinguish which are clinically relevant from levels of cauda equina and/or nerve root lesions based on MRI, and determine and reduce the decompression levels of lumbar spinal stenosis than MRI + NE, while ensuring or improving surgical outcomes.

Methods

We compared the data between patients who underwent MRI + (PM or DTI) and patients who underwent conventional MRI + NE to determine levels of decompression for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Outcome measures were assessed at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

One hundred fourteen patients (59 in the control group, 54 in the experimental group) underwent decompression. The levels of decompression determined by MRI + (PM or DTI) in the experimental group were significantly less than that determined by MRI + NE in the control group (p = 0.000). The surgical time, blood loss, and surgical transfusion were significantly less in the experimental group (p = 0.001, p = 0.011, p = 0.001, respectively). There were no differences in improvement of the visual analog scale back and leg pain (VAS-BP, VAS-LP) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after operation between the experimental and control groups.

Conclusions

MRI + (PM or DTI) showed clear benefits in determining decompression levels of lumbar spinal stenosis than MRI + NE. In patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, the use of PM and DTI techniques reduces decompression levels and increases safety and benefits of surgery.
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Metadata
Title
Reducing surgical levels by paraspinal mapping and diffusion tensor imaging techniques in lumbar spinal stenosis
Authors
Hua-Biao Chen
Qi Wan
Qi-Feng Xu
Yi Chen
Bo Bai
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1749-799X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-016-0382-1

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