Table 3.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Thoracolumbar Posterior Ligamentous Complex Injury.
| MRI finding | Best /additional sequence | Positive predictive value a | Negative predictive value a | Pearls/Pitfalls | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supraspinous ligament | Black stripe discontinuity | Sagittal STIR/T2, Axial T2 | 100 | 96 | Classified as intact or disrupted: thinned but continuous ligament classified as intact |
| Interspinous ligament | Hyperintensity | Sagittal STIR/T2 | 100 | 92 | Edema vs disruption: ill-defined hyperintense signal vs sharp horizontal line crossing through the ligament |
| Ligamentum flavum | Black stripe discontinuity | Sagittal STIR/T2, Axial T2 | 100 | 100 | Horizontal vs vertical tear: Localized sharp vertical line vs diffusely macerated ligament |
| Facet capsule | Facet effusion (partial) Malalignment (complete) |
Sagittal STIR (effusion) Axial T1/sagittal T1 (malalignment) | 57 | 100 | — |
Abbreviations: MRI, Magnetic resonance imaging; STIR, Short tau inversion recovery.
aThe accuracy measures were obtained from the study by Pizones et al 19 the only paper that uses dichotomous criteria for each ligament.