Clinical significance of preoperative increased signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging-T_2 weighted in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Objective To investigate the relationship between the clinical characteristics and preoperative increased signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-T2 weighted in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM) surgically treated by cervical anterior decompress approach.Methods 48 patients with CSM underwent cervical anterior decompress surgery and had preoperative MRI performed.These patients were divided by preoperative increased signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-T2 weighted into 3 groups: normal T1/normal T2 was group A(21 cases),normal T1/long T2 was group B(22 cases) and long T1/long T2 was group C(5 cases).Patients' ages,duration of disease,preoperative JOA score were recorded.Postoperative JOA score and the recovery ratio were followed up.Results A statistically significant difference in preoperative JOA score,postoperative followed-up JOA score and the recovery ratio was shown between A group and C group(P0.05),between B group and C group,while A group and B group had no statistically significant difference(P0.05).Conclusions The preoperative long T1/long T2 signal in CSM patients have lower preoperative JOA score,postoperative followed-up JOA score and the recovery ratio.The preoperative normal T1/long T2 signal in patients with CSM could have a good recovery.The preoperative long T1/long T2 signal in CSM patients can be a prognosis to estimate bad postoperative recovery.