Objective To study the MRI diagnosis of sacral fracture with sacral neurological damage and its cl inical appl ication. Methods From October 1999 to October 2007, 20 cases of sacral fracture (Denis classification, Type II)
with sacral neurological damage were examined by obl ique coronal MRI of sacrum to show the whole length of sacral nerve. There were 17 males and 3 females, aged 30-55 years. The time from injury to hospital ization varied from 1 day to 23 months. The injury was caused by traffic accident in 10 cases, smash of heavy object in 8 cases and crush in 2 cases. Eight cases were accompanied by pubis fracture and 4 cases by urethral disruption. All patients accepted the examination of X-ray, CT and spiral CT 3D reconstruction. X-ray showed the displacement of fracture fragment was backwards and upwards, and sacral-hole l ine was vague, asymmetric and distorted. CT showed that sacral neural tube was left-right asymmetry, the displacement of fracture fragment was backwards and upwards, combining with the compression and intruding to sacrum center at different section levels. The cl inical manifestations, international standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury recommended by American Spinal Injury Association International Spinal Cord Society, comparison between normal and abnormal MRI and Gierada’s results were the basis for cl inical diagnose and MRI diagnose, which was confirmed by operation. Results Nerve injury diagnosed by cl inical manifestation were S1 (17 cases), S2 (14 cases), S3 (7 cases), and S4 (6 cases). Nerve injury diagnosed
by MRI were S1 (17 cases), S2 (14 cases), S3 (3 cases), and S4 (2 cases). Nerve injury confirmed by operation were S1 (17 cases), S2 (14 cases), S3 (7 cases), and S4 (1 case). Obl ique coronal MRI of sacrum showed the whole length of sacral nerve and its adjacent relationship, detecting bone fragment compression and route alteration of never were evident in 5 cases, the fat disappearance around the site of nerve root injury in 19 cases, narrowness of sacral nerve canal in 17 cases and the abnormally enlarged sacral nerve in 11 cases. Conclusion Obl ique coronal MRI of sacrum is of great value in the local ization and the qual itative diagnosis of sacral neurological damage.
Citation： TIAN Zheng,BAI Jingping,XI Linbaoleri,CHEN Hong. MRI DIAGNOSIS OF SACRAL FRACTURE WITH SACRAL NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE AND ITS CLINICAL APPLICATION. Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery, 2008, 22(9): 1096-1099. doi: Copy