• Vithanage N Wijayathunga, Steven F Tanner, John P Ridgway, and Ruth K Wilcox.
• Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
• Spine. 2019 Jun 1; 44 (11): 793-800.

Study DesignAn in vitro magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study.ObjectiveInvestigate the potential of high-field MRI for producing higher quality images of the intervertebral disc (IVD) to better distinguish structural details.Summary Of Background DataHigher spatial and contrast resolution are important advantages when imaging the complex tissue structures in the spine such as the IVDs. However, at present it is challenging to capture the substructural details in the IVD such as the lamellae.MethodsThree MRI sequences; two-dimensional proton-density-weighted Turbo-Spin-Echo (PD-TSE), 2D T2-weighted Turbo-Spin-Echo (T2W-TSE) with fat-saturation (FS), and 3D Spoiled-Gradient-Echo (3D-GE), were modified based on the image quality and scan duration. IVDs of three intact cadaveric lumbar-spines (T12-S1, Age 83-94 yr) were imaged using these optimized sequences. Thereafter each IVD was transversely sectioned and the exposed surfaces were photographed. Landmark observations from corresponding MRI slices and photographs were compared to confirm the MRI captured morphology. The image quality was evaluated using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and relative-contrast values. Finally, the underlying tissue structures, including specific pathological features, were qualitatively compared between the MR images and photographs.ResultsObservations from photographs and corresponding MRI slices matched well. The PD-TSE sequence had better overall SNR, but the relative contrast between the tissue types was relatively poor. The 3D-GE sequence had higher relative contrast between the IVD and bone, but not between annulus and nucleus regions. The T2W images provided the best relative contrast between the annulus and nucleus, however the standard deviations here were high. Structural details including fissures, vascular and granular tissue proliferation, and pathologies in the endplate region, were identifiable from the MR images obtained using the optimized sequences.ConclusionThe results demonstrate the potential of high-field MRI to capture the IVD structural details. Since the acquisition durations were within clinically acceptable levels, these methodological improvements have the potential to enhance clinical diagnostics.Level Of Evidence4.

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