Comparison of sagittal spinal alignment on standing plain x-rays and supine MRI in degenerative lumbar disease

BackgroundThe purpose of the present study is to examine the possible correlation between standing plain x-rays and supine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating spinal sagittal alignment in degenerative lumbar disease (DLD).MethodsThe characteristics and images of 64 patients with DLD were reviewed retrospectively. The thoracolumbar junction kyphosis (TJK), lumbar lordosis (LL) and sacral slope (SS) were measured on lateral plain x-rays and by MRI. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was tested using intra-class correlation coefficients.ResultsThe results suggested that TJK measurements obtained from MRI tended to underestimate the radiographic measures by 2 degrees, whereas SS measurements obtained from MRI tended to overestimate the radiographic measures by 2 degrees. The LL measurements obtained from MRI were approximately equal to the radiographic measures, and the x-ray and MRI measurements were linearly related.ConclusionsIn conclusion, supine MRI can be directly translated into sagittal alignment angle measurements obtained from standing x-rays with an acceptable degree of accuracy. This can avoid the impaired view caused by the overlapping ilium, while reducing the patient's exposure to radiation.