PURPOSE: Development of an MR-based imaging technique for the spine allowing reduction of frequency of conventional Nadiographs in the monitoring of juvenile scoliosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 25 patients between the ages of 6 to 36 years were examined in supine position. Two examinations of the cervical and upper thoracic spine and of the lower thoracic and lumbar spine were performed with a 1.5 T Gyroscan ACS-NT Powertrak 6000 system with body coil employing 3D EPI-sequence (TR 17 ms, TE 9 ms, flip angle 20 degrees, field of view 450 mm) or 3D FFE sequences (TR 9 ms, TE 4.5 ms, flip angle 20 degrees, field of view 450 mm) and pulse-oximetry gating. 64 coronal slices were acquired with reconstructed slice thickness of 2 mm. Image processing was performed with an algorithm merging acquisition results into two single images in the coronal and sagittal orientations allowing measurement of the Cobb angle. RESULTS: Mean examination time was 14 minutes per patient. Mean data processing time was seven minutes. Interobserver variance of determination of the Cobb angle was 1.8 degrees. CONCLUSIONS: It is to be hoped that MR whole spine projection will allow a reduction of the frequency of conventional projection in the monitoring of juvenile scoliosis.
PURPOSE: Development of an MR-based imaging technique for the spine allowing reduction of frequency of conventional Nadiographs in the monitoring of juvenile scoliosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 25 patients between the ages of 6 to 36 years were examined in supine position. Two examinations of the cervical and upper thoracic spine and of the lower thoracic and lumbar spine were performed with a 1.5 T Gyroscan ACS-NT Powertrak 6000 system with body coil employing 3D EPI-sequence (TR 17 ms, TE 9 ms, flip angle 20 degrees, field of view 450 mm) or 3D FFE sequences (TR 9 ms, TE 4.5 ms, flip angle 20 degrees, field of view 450 mm) and pulse-oximetry gating. 64 coronal slices were acquired with reconstructed slice thickness of 2 mm. Image processing was performed with an algorithm merging acquisition results into two single images in the coronal and sagittal orientations allowing measurement of the Cobb angle. RESULTS: Mean examination time was 14 minutes per patient. Mean data processing time was seven minutes. Interobserver variance of determination of the Cobb angle was 1.8 degrees. CONCLUSIONS: It is to be hoped that MR whole spine projection will allow a reduction of the frequency of conventional projection in the monitoring of juvenile scoliosis.