RadteraMRI Cervical Spine Without Contrast
MRNo contrastSpine
Indications
- Neck pain with radiculopathy / myelopathy
- Cervical disc herniation / stenosis
- Trauma (cord injury)
- Suspected cord lesion (with contrast if tumor/infection/MS)
- Numbness/weakness in arms
Patient prep
- MRI safety screening
- No fasting (unless contrast policy)
- Supine in spine/neurovascular coil
- Padding for comfort to limit motion
Contrast
None / non-contrast
Technique
- Supine, head-first, posterior spine array coil (+ anterior neck coil)
- Sagittal coverage of cervical spine including craniocervical junction to upper thoracic
- Axial T2 (and/or T2*) through levels of interest (typically C3-T1)
- Add contrast if suspected tumor, infection, demyelination, or postoperative
Series / Sequences
| # | Series / Sequence | Plane | Weighting / Recon | Thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sag T1 | sagittal | T1 | 3 mm | Marrow, anatomy |
| 2 | Sag T2 | sagittal | T2 | 3 mm | Cord, CSF, discs |
| 3 | Sag STIR | sagittal | STIR | 3 mm | Marrow edema, cord signal, trauma |
| 4 | Ax T2 / T2* GRE | axial | T2 / T2* | 3-4 mm | Foramina, cord; GRE good for osteophyte/disc |
| 5 | Ax T1 (optional) | axial | T1 | 3-4 mm |
Key points
- Sagittal STIR sensitive for cord edema, marrow edema, ligamentous/traumatic injury.
- Axial GRE (MERGE/MEDIC) helps distinguish osteophyte from disc and shows foraminal stenosis.
- Add Sag/Ax T1 post-contrast for tumor, infection, MS, or postoperative epidural fibrosis vs recurrent disc.
- Cover craniocervical junction; assess cord signal for myelomalacia.
References
• ACR-ASNR-ASSR Practice Parameter for MRI of the Adult Spine
• Radiopaedia: Cervical spine MRI protocol link
• ACR Appropriateness Criteria: Cervical Neck Pain or Cervical Radiculopathy
• Radiopaedia: Cervical spine MRI protocol link
• ACR Appropriateness Criteria: Cervical Neck Pain or Cervical Radiculopathy
Source: Researched — verify against your institution
Reference template — verify and adapt to your scanner, vendor and institution before clinical use. Not a substitute for clinical judgment.