[Postoperative spinal column]

Abstract

Standard procedure: As a rule, postoperative imaging is carried out after spinal interventions to document the exact position of the implant material.

Information: Imaging is absolutely necessary when new clinical symptoms occur postoperatively. In this case a rebleeding or an incorrect implant position abutting a root or the spinal cord must be proven. In addition to these immediately occurring postoperative clinical symptoms, there are a number of complications that can occur several days, weeks or even months later. These include the failed back surgery syndrome, implant loosening or breakage of the material and relapse of a disc herniation and spondylodiscitis.

Review: In addition to knowledge of the original clinical symptoms, it is also important to know the operation details, such as the access route and the material used.

Recommendation: In almost all postoperative cases, imaging with contrast medium administration and corresponding correction of artefacts by the implant material, such as the dual energy technique, correction algorithms and the use of special magnetic resonance (MR) sequences are necessary.

Recommendation: In order to correctly assess the postoperative imaging, knowledge of the surgical procedure and the previous clinical symptoms are mandatory besides special computed tomography (CT) techniques and MR sequences.

Keywords: Dual energy technique; Failed back surgery syndrome; Implant malposition; Postoperative imaging; Spondylodiscitis.