Generally speaking, CT is preferred if it is only for checking the presence or absence of osteophytes, while MRI is preferred if it is also for checking the soft tissues around the osteophytes.
CT is slightly cheaper than MRI, the imaging speed is faster, the imaging of bone is relatively better than MRI, but because of ionizing radiation, pregnant women are forbidden to do, and its presentation of soft tissue is not as clear as MRI.
MRI is a little more expensive than CT, and the examination time is relatively long, usually takes 15 to 20 minutes, if the body contains a pacemaker, it can not be examined, but it does not have the damage of ionizing radiation, and the imaging of soft tissues is clearer than that of CT.
It is recommended to choose according to the specific needs of the examination, combined with the doctor’s recommendations.