Traumatic intervertebral disc lesion – magnetic resonance imaging as a criterion for or against intervertebral fusion

Lesions of the intervertebral disc accompanying vertebral fractures are the subject of controversy and discussion regarding the extent and manner of surgical intervention. The question of when to perform disc resection and intervertebral fusion, in particular, has not been answered satisfactorily. In order to evaluate short- and medium-term lesions of the discoligamentous complex associated with thoracolumbar burst fractures, magnetic resonance images made after stabilisation and again after implant removal were compared. Between 1997 and 1998, 20 patients who had suffered thoracolumbar burst fractures (AO classification A3 and B1 [26]) underwent posterior reduction and stabilisation using a Universal Spine System (USS, Synthes, Switzerland) titanium internal fixator. The implant was removed after an average of 10 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed 1 week after both operations, allowing the changes in a total of 40 intervertebral discs adjacent to the fractured vertebral body to be investigated. The analysis was based on signal intensity of the intervertebral disc in T2-weighted scans and on morphological criteria.