Wallerian degeneration in patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury:a magnetic resonance imaging study
YUAN Yuan
ZHOU Hongjun
WEI Bo
CONG Xinying
LIU Genlin
ZHENG Ying
HAO Chunxia
ZHANG Ying
WANG Yiji
KANG Haiqiong
LU Xiaolei
MENG Qianru
Abstract：Objective To explore the signal characteristics of Wallerian degeneration(WD)of the spinal cord in patients with trau-matic cervical spinal cord injury.
Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted.From January,2015 to December,2021,the clinical data of 191 pa-tients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury in Beijing Boai Hospital were included.According to sagittal and axial T2-weighted images(T2WI)of routine cervical magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),the patients were divid-ed into WD group and non-WD group.The gender,age,mechanism of injury,American Spinal Injury Associa-tion Impairment Scale(AIS),neurological level,and time interval to obtain MRI after injury were compared be-tween two groups.The characteristics of WD in dorsal column(DC),lateral spinothalamic tract(ST)and lateral corticospinal tract(CS)were analyzed.
Results A total of 115 cases(60.2%)showed WD.There were significant differences in age,mechanism of injury,AIS grade,and time interval to obtain MRI after injury between two groups(Z>3.820,χ2>9.104,P<0.05).In WD group,the occurrence rates of WD in DC and ST above the injury site were 100%and 87%,respectively.Below the injury site,the occurrence rate of WD in CS was 35.7%.Based on the pattern of WD signal appearance,three groups were identified:15 cases(13%)had only DC signal changes,59 cases(51.3%)had changes in both DC and ST,and 41 cases(35.7%)had changes in all the three locations(DC,ST and CS).There was significant dif-ference in the time interval to obtain MRI after injury(H = 90.794,P<0.05)among three groups,while there was no significance in AIS grade(P>0.05).
Conclusion Routine MRI examination with T2WI could detect WD signals in patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injury,and the occurrence of WD is associated with post-injury time.
Keywords：traumatic cervical spinal cord injuryWallerian degenerationmagnetic resonance imagingAmerican Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale
Publication Date：2024-04-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 487-492 )