Reliability Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Detecting Posterior Ligament Complex Injury Associated With Thoracic And Lumbar Fractures

Object To assess the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for posterior ligament complex injury (PLC) in thoracolumbar spinal fractures. Method Patients with thoracolumbar spinal fracture were evaluated prospectively by MRI before operation. During the operation, posterior ligament complex injury was examined. Result The sensitivity of MRI in evaluating interspinous ligament was 92. 3 %;specificity, 95.2%;and accuracy, 93.3%. In evaluating supraspinous ligament injury sensitivity was 98.3%;specificity, 98.7%;and accuracy, 100.0% . In evaluating ligamentous flavum injury sensitivity was 97. 0%;specificity, 98.0%;and accuracy, 99.0%. CFJ injuries were 22 in MRI findings and 21 in operative findings. The overall Kappa of PLCwas 0.786. Conclusion A fat-suppressed T2~weighted sagittal and axial sequence of MRI was a highly sensitive, specific, and accurate method of evaluating posterior ligament complex injury and MRI findings were high according with intraoperative findings.