Evaluation of traumatic spinal injury using low tesla MRI scan in a semi-urban environment of Nigeria

Background: Spine injuries following trauma could present with profound life-altering consequences. Most spine injuries follow motor vehicle accidents, falls, and violence. Neurological injuries are common sequelae of spine trauma with huge medical, financial, and social consequences. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows better visualization of the supporting structures and the spinal cord in such trauma. To evaluate the patterns of traumatic spine injuries on low Tesla MRI scans in a semi-urban environment in the North Central Region of Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective study involving 92 patients who had spine MRI scans using a 0.2T machine following trauma to the spine from 2017 to 2021 at the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Results: The male gender was the most affected accounting for 83.7% with age group 21-40 years being the most affected (54.3%), followed by age group 41-60 (26%). Over half (52.2%) of the patients had cervical spine injuries, 39.1% had thoracic spine injuries, and lumbar spine injuries were seen in 19.6% of the patients. On Spinal cord involvement, the study revealed that 19 (20.7%) were normal,13 (14.1%) had contusion (Haemorrhage) while 45 (48.9%), 7 (7.6%), 10 (10.9%), and 10 (10.9%) had compression, edema, partial transection and complete transection respectively. Conclusions: 0.2T MRI was able to identify spinal injuries and these injuries mostly affect young adult males with the cervical spine being the most affected. Road Traffic-related incidents were the leading mechanism with Assault from ethno-religious crises and Injury arising from collapse mining ponds adding to it.