The Role of MRI in Evaluating Spinal Cord Injuries: Diagnostic Accuracy, Prognostic Value, and Clinical Decision-Making.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) happens when the spinal cord is damaged, which can be caused by different types of trauma or other non-traumatic factors. These injuries are a major contributor to disability and long-term morbidity on a global scale, often resulting in severe neurological deficits and complications. While radiography and computed tomography (CT) frequently provide guidance for initial assessment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most effective method for imaging soft tissues. MRI is essential in identifying and managing SCI because it can demonstrate relevant details, detect bleeding, swelling, and ligament damage, and offer valuable insights for prognosis. This traditional review evaluates the role of MRI in managing SCI by examining relevant literature. The review examines MRI's diagnostic accuracy, its value in predicting outcomes, and how it influences clinical decisions. The paper provides a well-rounded view of its advantages and limitations. It includes full-text review articles and meta-analyses published in English between 1996 and 2024, with additional studies included if the selected articles reference them. Our findings demonstrate that MRI is crucial for diagnosing acute SCI due to its ability to provide detailed visualization of spinal cord pathology, which other imaging techniques often miss. It aids in prognosis, with features like intramedullary hemorrhage and lesion length correlating with neurological recovery; however, features of edema and cord compression are not as clear-cut when it comes to predicting outcomes. MRI also influences surgical planning and timing through its ability to assist in determining the need for decompression and stabilization procedures. Future research should focus on developing standardized MRI criteria and conducting high-quality trials to enhance the clinical utility, prognostic reliability, and diagnostic accuracy in the treatment of SCI.