• Lipeng Yu, Zitao Zhang, Qingfeng Ding, Yiming Li, Yuwen Liu, and Guoyong Yin.
• Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P.R. China.
• J Spinal Disord Tech. 2015 Jul 1;28(6):E365-7.

Study DesignTechnical note.ObjectiveTo determine the correlation between the high-intensity lesions observed on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (T2W MRI) and the cervical dynamic characteristics of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).Summary Of Background DataIntramedullary high signal intensity is frequently observed on T2W MRI of CSM patients and represents pathologic changes in the spinal cord. However, few studies have attempted to identify the effects on cervical dynamics associated with such changes in MRI signals.MethodsThis study included 71 CSM patients who were admitted to our hospital between May, 2009 and May, 2012 (44 men, 27 women; average age, 52.5±11.7 y). They were divided into 3 groups depending on T2W MRI data: group 1, no hyperintensity; group 2, slight hyperintensity; and group 3, bright hyperintensity. The Cobb angle on cervical flexion-extension radiographs was measured as a parameter of cervical spine dynamics.ResultsTotal hyperflexion, hyperextension curvature, range of movement (ROM), and segmental hyperflexion curvature did not differ among the groups (P>0.05). Segmental hyperextension curvature and ROM were greater in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (P<0.05) but did not differ significantly between groups 2 and 3 (P>0.05).ConclusionsIncreased segmental hyperextension curvature (≥10 degrees) and ROM are risk factors for high-intensity lesions on T2W MRI in CSM patients.

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