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Visual example comparing the resolution of 3T MRI vs. (standard) 1.5T MRI in spinal imaging

The same patient underwent a standard 1.5T (T=Tesla) MRI of the lumbar spine in early 2022 (left panel, above), and then a 3T MRI of the lumbar spine in late 2022 (right panel, above). You can see the left image (1.5T magnetic field strength) is of much lower resolution than the right image (3T magnetic […]

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Radiological and clinical follow-up, at 7 years after prosthetic insertion (ROI-A and Chesapeake-type fusion cages)

I recently saw, as part of voluntary long-term follow-up that I requested, some of my patients in whom I inserted fusion cages in their lower lumbar spines (anterior lumbar interbody fusion; ALIF) for, e.g., military trauma and subsequent degeneration (gentleman now in his late 70s; Image 1; ROI-A dual integrated ‘gull-wing’ cages) and road accident […]

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Radiological follow-up of some of my anterior lumbar prosthetic patients: ROI-A fusion cages and LP-ESP artificial discs at 1 to 6 years post-insertion

The anterior lumbar “hybrid” surgery patient’s images below involved replacement of her worn, damaged and symptomatic L3/4 and L4/5 discs (left panel, Pre-op) with an LP-ESP artificial disc at L3/4 and a ROI-A fusion cage at L4/5. The centre panel shows the prosthetics at 1 year post-op and the right panel shows them at 4+ […]

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Nice lumbar RANGE OF MOTION even following anterior + posterior prosthetic & instrumentation reconstruction

This otherwise healthy, active and working man presented with symptoms including persistent low back pain and bilateral leg radiating symptoms. They were substantially interfering with his quality of life. The L4/5 disc was “black” (desiccated, i.e., dehydrated and shrunken in height), as well as “slipped” (listhesed), from facet joint degeneration (degenerative spondylolisthesis). The pre-operative key […]

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