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FIG 3. Routine and axially loaded MR images of a 75-year-old man with right sciatica. Decompression surgery had been performed 2 years before this study. All three surgeons changed the treatment decision from conservative therapy to decompression surgery based on the additional information provided by the axially loaded images.
A, Routine T2-weighted image obtained at L4–L5 shows deformation of dural sac and thickening of ligamentum flavum, especially on the left side.
B, Axially loaded T2-weighted image obtained at L4–L5 shows a right synovial cyst (arrow) that was not shown by the routine MR image. Prominent deformation of the dural sac and thickening of the ligamentum flavum can be seen.
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