Roberto Cartolari
â??S. Giovanniâ? Hospital, Switzerland
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
The comprehension of the inner mechanism of low back pain is hard and often the conventional diagnostic approach canâ??t reveal the exact cause of the disease. The functional radiologic study of the spine is not so precise, and only bone structures are directly seen. More complex conventional radiologic functional studies like myelography and stereo-radiology are invasive or obsolete and difficult to obtain; in any case the informations obtained are quite always â??indirectâ?, since anatomical structures as discs, roots and ligaments are not visible. In last 20 years, a possible â??in vivoâ? bio-mechanic approach in the study of the spine has been proposed with the use of devices like the Axial Loader and the Dynawell able to produce a variable axial load on the spine during CT or MR examinations on conventional diagnostic units. This allows to directly image all the anatomical structures in a precise way during a work. This lecture reviews the personal experience in the study mainly on the lumbar spine with the Axial Loader (AL) both in CT and in MR. The Axial Loader device is described together with the CT and MR acquisitions. The disc, intersomatic and articular facet changes obtained during the examinations are described with a breakdown of the classification of findings as Elementary Dynamic Modifications (EDMs) or Complex Dynamic Modifications (CDMs). From this data derived a possible functional model of the lumbar spine. A particular look will be given to the post-surgical functional evaluation of the lumbar spine. Early data from AL studies of pediatric isthmian lysis with MR will be presented. Finally a comparison with data from studies with MR units that allows real orthostatic spine studies will be attempted.
Born in Urbino (PU), Italy, in 1955, is married with Maria Chiara and , has one daughter, Ginevra. Degree in Medicine and Surgery, University of Modena, 1980, board on Radiology, University of Modena in 1984, board on Neurology, University of Siena in 1994. He Patented the device, “Axial Loader” and development of neuroradiological imaging techniques known as” Axial Loaded - Computed Tomography - AL-CT “ and “ Axial Loaded Magnetic Resonance - AL-MR “for the in vivo biomechanical study of the spine in 1992. At present is Senior Assistant Radiologist at the Radiology Service, Ospedale S. Giovanni – EOC Bellinzona, Switzerland. He has published as Author and co-author many scientific publications, abstracts and reports in national and international journals. He also collaborated on several chapters on international treaties of Neuroradiology. Main interests are “Diagnostic and Spinal non-vascular Interventional Neuroradiology, with special reference to CT and MRI, “ Biomedical applications of Virtual Reality,” Biomechanics of the spine and joints. “ He is Ordinary Member of the Italian Association of Neuroradiology – AINR,- Full Member of the European Society of Neuroradiology – ESNR
Email: roberto.cartolari@eoc.ch
