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Orthopaedic Proceedings
Vol. 94-B, Issue SUPP_XXVI | Pages 35 - 35
1 Jun 2012
Henderson L Kulik G Richarme D Theumann N Schizas C
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Purpose of the study

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the slice orientation of T2 axial images in numerical measurements of DSCA and study the effect that this change of slice angle would have on the morphological grading assessment.

Methods and Results

TSE T2 three dimensional aquisition MRI studies reconstructed with OsiriX DICOM viewer from 32 patients were used. Patients included were a series of consecutive cases with either suspected spinal stenosis or low back pain. A total of 97 disc levels were studied and axial reconstructions were made at 0°, +10°, +20°, +30° relative to the disc space orientation. For each image, DSCA was digitally measured and a severity grade was assigned by two observers according to the recently-published 4-point (A-D) morphological grading system. Interobserver kappa score was 0.71. Statistical analysis of DSCA measurements was performed using kappa and t-tests. Comparing DCSA between 0° at each level and +10°, +20° and +30° slice orientation, a significant increase in surface area was found in each case (P<0.0001). % change in DSCA combining all disc levels comparing 0° and +10°: range -15.48% to +31.89% (SD 18.40%); 0° and +20°: range -24.00% to +143.82% (SD 20.45%); 0° and +30°: range -29.35% to +231.13% (SD 26.52%). At 13 disc levels, DSCA was <100mm2 at 0°, but changed to >100mm2 in three cases by a +10° increase, in five cases by a +20° increase and in 10 cases by a +30° increase. In only two out of 97 levels studied did the morphological grading change as the angle increased, one of which was not amongst those above (change in DSCA from <100mm2 to >100mm2).


The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery British Volume
Vol. 94-B, Issue 1 | Pages 98 - 101
1 Jan 2012
Schizas C Kulik G

Surgical decision-making in lumbar spinal stenosis involves assessment of clinical parameters and the severity of the radiological stenosis. We suspected that surgeons based surgical decisions more on dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCA) than on the morphology of the dural sac. We carried out a survey among members of three European spine societies. The axial T2-weighted MR images from ten patients with varying degrees of DSCA and morphological grades according to the recently described morphological classification of lumbar spinal stenosis, with DSCA values disclosed in half the assessed images, were used for evaluation. We provided a clinical scenario to accompany the images, which were shown to 142 responding physicians, mainly orthopaedic surgeons but also some neurosurgeons and others directly involved in treating patients with spinal disorders. As the primary outcome we used the number of respondents who would proceed to surgery for a given DSCA or morphological grade. Substantial agreement among the respondents was observed, with severe or extreme stenosis as defined by the morphological grade leading to surgery. This decision was not dependent on the number of years in practice, medical density or specialty. Disclosing the DSCA did not alter operative decision-making. In all, 40 respondents (29%) had prior knowledge of the morphological grading system, but their responses showed no difference from those who had not. This study suggests that the participants were less influenced by DSCA than by the morphological appearance of the dural sac.

Classifying lumbar spinal stenosis according to morphology rather than surface measurements appears to be consistent with current clinical practice.