C Schleich1, A Müller-Lutz2, K Blum3, J Boos4, B Bittersohl5, B Schmitt6, J Gerß7, F Matuschke8, H-J Wittsack9, G Antoch10, F Miese11. 1. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: christoph.schleich@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 2. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: anja.lutz@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 3. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: katrin.blum@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 4. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: johannes.boos@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 5. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Rheumatology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: bernd.bittersohl@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 6. Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd., 160 Herring Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113, Australia. Electronic address: benjamin_schmitt@siemens.com. 7. Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany. Electronic address: joachim.gerss@ukmuenster.de. 8. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: felix.matuschke@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 9. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: wittsack@uni-duesseldorf.de. 10. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: gabriele.bester@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 11. Univ Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: falkmiese@gmx.de.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of lumbar intervertebral discs (IVD) in healthy volunteers with facet tropism (FT) and sagittal facet joint (FJ) orientation using glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging (gagCEST). METHOD: Seventy-five lumbar IVDs of twenty-five young, healthy volunteers without any history of lumbar spine pathologies (13 female; 12 male; mean age: 28.0 ± 4.4 years; range: 21-35 years) were examined with a 3T MRI scanner. Orientation of FT and FJ were assessed for L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1 using standard T2 weighted images. Biochemical gagCEST imaging was used to determine the GAG content of each nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF). RESULTS: Significantly higher gagCEST values of NP were found in volunteers without FT and normal FJ orientation compared to volunteers with FT and sagittal FJ orientation >45° (P < 0.0001). GagCEST values were significantly higher in volunteers without FT compared to volunteers with moderate or severe FT (moderate FT: P < 0.0001; severe FT: P = 0.0033). Volunteers with normal FJ orientation showed significantly higher gagCEST values compared to those with sagittal FJ orientation >45° (P < 0.001). We found a significant, negative correlation between gagCEST values and higher angels in sagittal FJ orientation (rho = -0.459; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: GagCEST analysis indicated lower GAG values of NP in young volunteers with FT and sagittal orientated FJ, indicating that FT and sagittal orientation of the FJ represent risk factors for the development of early biochemical alterations of lumbar IVDs.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of lumbar intervertebral discs (IVD) in healthy volunteers with facet tropism (FT) and sagittal facet joint (FJ) orientation using glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging (gagCEST). METHOD: Seventy-five lumbar IVDs of twenty-five young, healthy volunteers without any history of lumbar spine pathologies (13 female; 12 male; mean age: 28.0 ± 4.4 years; range: 21-35 years) were examined with a 3T MRI scanner. Orientation of FT and FJ were assessed for L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1 using standard T2 weighted images. Biochemical gagCEST imaging was used to determine the GAG content of each nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF). RESULTS: Significantly higher gagCEST values of NP were found in volunteers without FT and normal FJ orientation compared to volunteers with FT and sagittal FJ orientation >45° (P < 0.0001). GagCEST values were significantly higher in volunteers without FT compared to volunteers with moderate or severe FT (moderate FT: P < 0.0001; severe FT: P = 0.0033). Volunteers with normal FJ orientation showed significantly higher gagCEST values compared to those with sagittal FJ orientation >45° (P < 0.001). We found a significant, negative correlation between gagCEST values and higher angels in sagittal FJ orientation (rho = -0.459; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: GagCEST analysis indicated lower GAG values of NP in young volunteers with FT and sagittal orientated FJ, indicating that FT and sagittal orientation of the FJ represent risk factors for the development of early biochemical alterations of lumbar IVDs.
Authors: Valentina Mori; Lino M Sawicki; Philipp Sewerin; Markus Eichner; Benedikt M Schaarschmidt; Lisa Oezel; Sebastian Gehrmann; Bernd Bittersohl; Gerald Antoch; Christoph Schleich Journal: Eur Radiol Date: 2018-12-12 Impact factor: 5.315
Authors: David Latz; Miriam Frenken; Erik Schiffner; Maxime Knautz; Wolfgang Alois Quante; Joachim Windolf; Jan Peter Grassmann; Pascal Jungbluth; Christoph Schleich Journal: J Orthop Date: 2019-04-08
Authors: Miriam Frenken; David Latz; Erik Schiffner; Wolfgang Alois Quante; Maxime Knautz; Daniel Benjamin Abrar; Benedikt Schaarschmidt; Christoph Schleich Journal: J Orthop Date: 2019-06-04
Authors: Lena M Wollschläger; Sven Nebelung; Christoph Schleich; Anja Müller-Lutz; Karl L Radke; Miriam Frenken; Matthias Boschheidgen; Max Prost; Gerald Antoch; Markus R Konieczny; Daniel B Abrar Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2021-05-22