Comparison of Sagittal Spinal Alignment on Standing Plain X-Rays and Supine MRI in Degenerative Lumbar Disease

Abstract Background:The purpose of present study is to examine the possible correlation between standing plain X-rays and supine MRI for evaluating spinal sagittal alignment in degenerative lumbar disease.Methods: The characteristics and images of 64 patients with degenerative lumbar diseases were reviewed retrospectively. The thoracolumbar junction kyphosis (TJK), lumbar lordosis (LL), and sacral slope (SS) were measured on lateral plain X-rays and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Inter- and intra-observer reliability were tested using intra-class correlation coefficients. Results: The results suggested that TJK measurements obtained from MRI tended to underestimate the radiographic measures by 2°, whereas SS measurements obtained from MRI tended to overestimate the radiographic measures by 2°. The LL measurements obtained from MRI were approximately equal to the radiographic measures. The X-ray and MRI measurements were linearly related. Conclusions:In 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.