Journal de radiologie OMICS

Abstrait

Lumbar Spinal Instability: An Updated Rewiew

Alessandra Splendiani, Lucia Patriarca, Silvia Mariani, Ernesto Di Cesare and Massimo Gallucci

Supine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is routinely used in the assessment of low- back pain and radiculopathy. However, imaging findings often correlate poorly with clinical findings. This is partly related to the positional dependence of spinal stenosis, which reflects dynamic changes in soft-tissue structures. Upright MRI in the flexed, extended, rotated, standing, and bending positions allows patients to reproduce the positions that bring about their symptoms. Assessment of the degree of spinal stability in the degenerate and postoperative lumbar spine is also possible and it offers many diagnostic opportunities. The aim of this rewiew is to present the findings concerning the spine instability using conventional and upright MRI.