Our Dragonfly spine MRI sequences are designed for screening, meaning they are intended to identify major structural abnormalities, but they are not equivalent to a dedicated diagnostic spine MRI ordered by a spine surgeon or neurologist.

What our screening spine MRI can generally identify

With our protocol (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine), we can typically detect:

* Moderate to large disc bulges or herniations
* Central canal stenosis or significant spinal canal narrowing
* Neural foraminal narrowing (when moderate to severe)
* Degenerative disc disease and disc height loss
* Spondylosis / osteophytes
* Scoliosis or alignment abnormalities
* Compression fractures or vertebral body abnormalities
* Large intraspinal masses or lesions
* Cord signal abnormalities when conspicuous (e.g., syrinx, large lesions)

These findings are usually well visualized because our sequences include sagittal and axial T2-weighted imaging across the spine, which are the key screening sequences for structural pathology.

What our screening spine MRI is NOT optimized to evaluate

* Post-surgical spine evaluation (hardware assessment, scar vs recurrent disc, etc.)
* Subtle nerve root compression or radiculopathy
* Facet joint arthropathy in detail
* Ligamentous injury or instability
* Inflammatory or infectious spine disease
* Small intradural or foraminal lesions
* Dynamic or positional abnormalities
* Contrast-enhanced evaluation
* High-resolution multi-sequence protocols typically used for surgical planning

Dedicated spine MRIs typically include many additional sequences, thinner slices, targeted field-of-view imaging, and sometimes contrast, which allow much more detailed evaluation of nerve roots, post-operative changes, and subtle pathology.

A Dragonfly Whole-Body Scan is excellent for screening the spine and detecting major abnormalities such as significant disc disease or spinal canal narrowing. However, it is not a substitute for a dedicated diagnostic MRI ordered by a spine specialist, especially for evaluating surgical areas or specific nerve-related symptoms.

Special note for post-surgical patients: Patients with prior spine surgery are one of the groups most likely to still need a dedicated diagnostic MRI, because evaluation of scar tissue, recurrent disc herniation, or hardware typically requires a targeted protocol and often contrast.

Your spine matters. Let’s start treating it that way.