Irene M. Vavasour1, Sandra M. Meyers2, Erin L. MacMillan3, Burkhard Maedler4, David KB Li1, Marcel F. Dvorak5, 6, Talia Vertinsky7, Vic Venu7, Alexander Rauscher8, Alex L. MacKay1, 2, Armin Curt9
1Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 2Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 3Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; 4Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; 5Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 6International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 7Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 8UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 9Spinal Cord Injury Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
With cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), spinal cord (SC) damage is caused by narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal. The relationship between cord motion and CSM symptoms are unknown. Thirteen CSM subjects and 15 controls underwent velocity imaging using 3D phase-contrast around the stenosis or C5. Tibial and ulnar nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were also measured. Displacement was significantly different between controls and CSM subjects. No significant correlations were found between displacement and clinical scores, however, abnormal SSEP was associated with increased SC movement. Increased SC motion may relate to underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to SC function deterioration.