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Background:Clinicians performing cervical MRI imaging frequently encounter differences in the intrathecal space available for the spinal cord among patients. Such findings that are observed on MRI are due to the effects of the structures around the spinal cords and the size of spinal cord on the degree of narrowing in the spinal canal. Consequently, epidemiological data, such as the frequency of occurrence of normal or abnormal values in the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal, are inconsistent with the degree of freedom of the spinal cord, In this study, we analyzed the MRI findings of normal adults and of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy to obtain knowledge regarding the degree of freedom of the spinal cord, and we herein report the results. Materials and methods:We examined 162 cases that underwent cervical MRI during a medical checkup of the brain in our hospital and 37 cases with myelopathy symptoms as a normal myelopathy groups, respectively. For the measurements of the degree of freedom of the intrathecal spinal cord, we carefully selected the median sagittal images of T2 weighted images, wherein we measured the area(A)of the dural canal from the superior border of the third cervical vertebra to the inferior border of the seventh cervical vertebra(the range exhibiting high intensity in T2 weighted image) and the area(B)of the spinal cord and defined B/A as an indicator of the degree of freedom of the spinal cord(space occupying ratio of spinal cord:SOR). Results:The SOR of the patients with myelopathy was statistically significantly higher than that of the normal adults. Compared with the frequency distribution between normal and myelopathy groups, no cases with a SOR of less than 0.6 were observed among the myelopathy cases, whereas such cases constituted 38% of the normal group. When calculating the averages of A and B by age, it was found that both values tended to decrease with age. However, the degree of decrease was greater in A than in B, and it was found that B/A(SOR)tends to increase with age. Conclusions:If the SOR is 0.6 or less, the possibility of expression of myelopathy symptoms is low, whereas if it is higher, there is a possibility of such expression. It is believed that these findings will contribute to determinations of treatment policy in cases in which findings of spinal cord compression are observed via cervical MRI. (Received August 20, 2009;accepted November 14, 2009)

Examination of the Intrathecal Space Available for the Spinal Cord Evaluated by Cervical MRI : a Simple Analysis with T2 Weighted Sagittal Images