Abstract #1303

Assessment of CSF Flow and Spinal Cord Motion in Cervical Spondylosis Using Phase Contrast MRI

Sandra Michelle Meyers^1,2, Erin L. MacMillan³, Burkhard Mdler⁴, Irene M. Vavasour⁵, David K. Li⁵, Marcel F. Dvorak^6,7, Armin Curt^6,8, Alex L. MacKay^5,9

¹University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ²Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; ³Dept. of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; ⁴Philips Healthcare, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ⁵Dept. of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ⁶International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ⁷Dept. of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ⁸Dept. of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ⁹Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a disease characterized by narrowing of the spinal canal, or stenosis, which alters the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the spinal canal. The goal of this study was to investigate the changes in velocity of both CSF flow and spinal cord motion caused by a stenosis, as measured by phase contrast MRI in the cranial-caudal direction. Results indicated a significant decrease in CSF flow and increase in spinal cord motion in CSM subjects, which may suggest that spinal cord motion is a consequence of the lack of CSF flow.