MRI for herniated disc of BWS | MRT of the thoracic spine

MRI for herniated disc of BWS

If a herniated disc in the thoracic spine is suspected, the doctor can arrange for an examination by means of an MRI. With the help of cross-sectional images of the thoracic spine, it can be diagnosed exactly where the herniated disc is located. In general, herniated discs in the thoracic spine are very rare, but they do occur and can torture the patient with sometimes severe back and chest pain.

By means of MRI of the BWS it is now possible to determine where the pain in the back area comes from and what the exact cause is. X-rays are not suitable here, since they mainly show the bones, but not the soft mass of the intervertebral disc. As already mentioned, herniated discs in the thoracic spine are rather rare, mostly they occur in the lumbar spine.

However, it is also possible that the pain at the level of the thoracic spine is caused by a so-called lumbago. This also tends to occur in the lumbar spine and less frequently in the thoracic spine. Lumbago is not an indication for an examination by MRI because it is a muscle spasm that cannot be visualized by MRI or X-ray. An inflammation of the intervertebral disc space (spondylodiscitis) can also be determined by MRI, since this is also an assessment of the soft intervertebral disc, and not an assessment of bone structures.

MRI for rib painPain in the costal arch

The ribs, which are located on the thoracic spine, can also be easily displayed on an MRI. In a cross-sectional image, they form the outer limits of the thoracic organs, such as the heart and lungs. However, in order to obtain a good image of the heart or lungs, a special MRI of the heart or lungs must be performed, since the heart is constantly moving and the lungs should be filled with helium to achieve better contrast.

Although it would also be possible to detect fractures or bruises in the MRI, X-rays are more suitable here as well, since they are available in every hospital and are faster than the MRI of the thoracic spine. Nevertheless, it is important to know that pain from a herniated disc in the thoracic spine can radiate along the ribs (costal arch), since this is where the rib nerve (nervus intercostalis) runs. Whether or not an MRI or X-ray of the thoracic spine is performed for rib pain usually depends on the physician to be examined and the capacities of the hospital. It is important, however, that if a herniated disc is suspected, an MRI should be performed in any case, since it allows the intervertebral discs to be better identified and thus shows exactly where the disc has separated and is constricting the spinal cord.