Is magnetic resonance imaging becoming the new computed tomography for cervical spine clearance? Trends in magnetic resonance imaging utilization at a Level I trauma center

BACKGROUND Increasing evidence supports the limited use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for cervical spine (C-spine) clearance following blunt trauma. We sought to characterize the utilization of MRI of the C-spine at a Level I trauma center. METHODS All blunt trauma patients undergoing a computed tomography (CT) of the C-spine between January 2009 and December 2018 were reviewed. The CT and MRI results, demographics, clinical presentation, subspecialty consultations, and interventions were recorded. The MRI results were considered clinically significant if they resulted in cervical thoracic orthosis/halo placement or surgical intervention. Linear regression models were utilized to identify trends. RESULTS There were 9,101 patients that underwent a CT of the C-spine, with 513 (5.6%) being positive for an acute injury. MRI was obtained for 375 (4.1%) of patients. A linear increase in the proportion of patients undergoing an MRI was noted, from 0.9% in 2009 to 5.6% in 2018 (p
Source: The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLES Source Type: research