Abstract #0617

Spinal Cord Displacement Is Increased in Subjects with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Compared to Controls

Irene M. Vavasour¹, Sandra M. Meyers², Erin L. MacMillan³, Burkhard Maedler⁴, David KB Li¹, Marcel F. Dvorak⁵,⁶, Talia Vertinsky⁷, Vic Venu⁷, Alexander Rauscher⁸, Alex L. MacKay¹,², Armin Curt⁹

¹Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ²Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ³Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; ⁴Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; ⁵Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ⁶International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ⁷Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ⁸UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; ⁹Spinal Cord Injury Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

With cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), spinal cord (SC) damage is caused by narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal. The relationship between cord motion and CSM symptoms are unknown. Thirteen CSM subjects and 15 controls underwent velocity imaging using 3D phase-contrast around the stenosis or C5. Tibial and ulnar nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were also measured. Displacement was significantly different between controls and CSM subjects. No significant correlations were found between displacement and clinical scores, however, abnormal SSEP was associated with increased SC movement. Increased SC motion may relate to underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to SC function deterioration.