The effectiveness of radiological methods for diagnosis of instability of the spinal motion segment in the cervical region

Introduction. Standard spine radiography is the basic method of radiodiagnosis, used for screening. X-ray imaging allows you to assess the anatomy of spinal motion segments in the cervical spine, determine the period of osteochondrosis and the tactics of further examination and treatment. Various types of dislocation of vertebrae are much more common than can be determined by spinal radiography in standard projections; as a result of dislocation, a pain syndrome occurs.

Aim. To study the effectiveness of conventional methods for diagnosis of instability in the spinal motion segment (SMS) in the cervical spine.

Materials and methods. We observed 50 patients (mean age 50.6 ± 2.19 years) who were admitted to the Clinic of the Irkutsk Scientific Center for Surgery and Traumatology (Neurosurgical Department) with a diagnosis Adult osteochondrosis of spine (ICD-10 code – M42.1). Conventional methods were used to diagnose SMS instability: plain radiography in anteroposterior and lateral projections, functional cervical spine radiography.

Results. It was stated that the most common changes are characteristic of II and III periods of osteochondrosis: straightening of cervical lordosis – in 48 patients (96%), decrease in intervertebral disc height – in 46 patients (92%), anterior wedging of vertebral bodies – in 48 patients (96%), endplate sclerosis – in 37 patients (74%), presence of marginal osteophytes – in 45 patients (90%).

In maximum flexion and extension, the C_II–C_VI vertebrae were involved in the formation of pathological mobility of the intervertebral segments, while the C_I and C_VII vertebrae remained stable.

Instability in one cervical vertebra was revealed in 15 patients (30%). Most often, excessive mobility of 2 vertebrae was observed – in 22 people (44%), less often of 3 vertebrae – in 5 patients (10%). The dislocation of 4 vertebrae was quite rare – in 2 patients (4%).

When analyzing the data of functional cervical spine radiography, we have found that the SMS instability in patients with intervertebral disc degeneration develops most often in the following segments: C_II–C_III – 13 people (26%), С_III–С_IV – 34 people (70%), C_IV–C_V – 29 people (58%), С_V–С_VI – 12 people (24%).

Conclusion. The SMS instability still remains an urgent problem in neurology and neurosurgery. Plain radiography reveals only indirect signs of SMS instability. Diagnosis by functional spondylography made it possible to verify the SMS instability only in 36% of cases.

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