MRE Evaluation for Spinal Cord Tumor Surgery: Stiffness and Adhesion Assessment

February 10, 2026 updated by: Yu Shi, Shengjing Hospital

Preoperative Evaluation of Tumor Stiffness and Adhesion in Spinal Cord Tumor Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography

In spinal cord tumors requiring surgical intervention, the resection difficulty is determined by two significant factors: tumor stiffness and adhesion to surrounding tissue.

The stiffness of the tumor dictates the complexity of removal, while strong adhesion presents additional challenges during the surgical procedure.

This clinical trial aims to assess the clinical utility of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), in evaluating the stiffness and adhesion of spinal cord tumors and guiding surgical planning to selecting the most appropriate surgical approach for patients with spinal cord tumors.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Spinal cord tumors are a common condition in neurosurgery, including neurofibroma, spinal meningioma, ependymoma, glioma, spinal lipoma, and so on.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a crucial role in the preoperative evaluation and planning of spinal cord tumor surgery. It provides detailed information about the tumor's location, size, and relationship to adjacent structures.

However, routine MRI may not always provide sufficient information about the tumor's stiffness or adhesion, which can impact surgical planning and postoperative outcomes. Magnetic resonance elastography and slip interface imaging can help measure the mechanical properties of tissues, including their stiffness or adhesion.

By combining the above methods, surgeons can identify areas of potential tumor adherence or invasion into surrounding structures, allowing for more precise surgical resection and minimizing the risk of damage to critical neural tissue.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Liaoning
      • Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 110000
        • Recruiting
        • Shengjing Hospital
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Yu Shi, MD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Anhua Wu, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Wen Cheng, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All patients undergoing spinal cord tumor resection surgery are eligible for inclusion in the study cohort.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with metallic implants or foreign bodies in their bodies (pacemakers, artificial metallic heart valves, metal joints, metal implants, and those who cannot remove dentures, insulin pumps, or contraceptive rings)
  • Pregnant women in the first trimester (within three months)
  • Patients with severe claustrophobia or anxiety
  • Patients with severe fever
  • Patients who can not tolerate MRE
  • Patients with vascular malformations and aneurysms.
  • Patients who do not sign an informed consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Diagnostic（MRE, tumor grading of stiffness and adhesion）
Patients undergo a preoperative routine MRI scan and MRE the day before their scheduled surgery. During surgery, the tumor stiffness and adhesion are assessed and recorded by the surgeon according to established evaluation criteria. It is important to note that the surgeon does not have prior knowledge of the tumor's specific stiffness and adhesion before the surgery. This information is typically obtained through intraoperative assessment and observation.
Diagnostic test: Magnetic Resonance Elastography
Undergo MRE and routine MRI
Other Names:
  • MRE
Procedure: Assessment and Recording
Undergo grading and recording of tumor stiffness and adhesion during surgery

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Surgical assessment of tumor stiffness
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 weeks
The surgeon will score the tumor stiffness in seven aspects, ranging from 1 to 5 points: Tumor size; Shape of tumor; Tumor texture; Stiffness of the tumor's capsule; Stiffness of the tumor's central region; Primary methods of tumor removal; Features of tumor's capsule.
Baseline to 6 weeks
Surgical assessment of tumor adhesion
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 weeks
The surgeon will score the tumor's adhesion based on seven aspects, ranging from 1 to 4 points: Stripping instruments; Frequency of use of sharp instruments; Adhesion range; Degree of tumor resection; Cranial nerve anatomy preservation; Brain tissue anatomy preservation; Neurological function (compared with preoperative).
Baseline to 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Shengjing Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Yu Shi, MD, Shengjing Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Anhua Wu, MD, Shengjing Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Wen Cheng, MD, Shengjing Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 15, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 15, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

July 24, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 10, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ShengjingH_brain2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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