Yeo Ju Kim1,2, Jang Gyu Cha3, Yoon Sang Shin1, Akshay S Chaudhari2,4, Young Ju Suh5, Seung Hwan Yoon6, Garry E Gold2,4. 1. 1 Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea. 2. 2 Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. 3. 3 Department of Radiology, Soon Chun Hyang University Bucheon Hospital, 1174, Jung-Dong, Wonmi-Gu, Bucheon-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 420-767, South Korea. 4. 4 Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. 5. 5 Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea. 6. 6 Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3D ultrashort TE (UTE) MRI in depicting the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and its abnormalities and to investigate the association between CEP abnormalities and disk degeneration on T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) MR images in cervical disks in vivo. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight healthy volunteers and 70 patients were examined using 3-T MRI with the 3D UTE cones trajectory technique (TR/TE, 16.1/0.032, 6.6). In the volunteer study, quantitative and qualitative assessments of CEP depiction were conducted for the 3D UTE and T2-weighted SE imaging. In the patient study, CEP abnormalities were analyzed. Intersequence agreement between the images obtained with the first-echo 3D UTE sequence and the images created by subtracting the second-echo from the first-echo 3D UTE sequence (subtracted 3D UTE) and the intraobserver and interobserver agreements for 3D UTE overall were also tested. The CEP abnormalities on the 3D UTE images correlated with the Miyazaki grading of the T2-weighted SE images. RESULTS: In the volunteer study, the CEP was well visualized on 3D UTE images but not on T2-weighted SE images (p < 0.001). In the patient study, for evaluation of CEP abnormalities, intersequence agreements were substantial to almost perfect, intraobserver agreements were substantial to almost perfect, and interobserver agreements were moderate to substantial (p < 0.001). All of the CEP abnormalities correlated with the Miyazaki grade with statistical significance (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional UTE MRI feasibly depicts the CEP and CEP abnormalities, which may be associated with the severity of disk degeneration on T2-weighted SE MRI.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3D ultrashort TE (UTE) MRI in depicting the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and its abnormalities and to investigate the association between CEP abnormalities and disk degeneration on T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) MR images in cervical disks in vivo. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight healthy volunteers and 70 patients were examined using 3-T MRI with the 3D UTE cones trajectory technique (TR/TE, 16.1/0.032, 6.6). In the volunteer study, quantitative and qualitative assessments of CEP depiction were conducted for the 3D UTE and T2-weighted SE imaging. In the patient study, CEP abnormalities were analyzed. Intersequence agreement between the images obtained with the first-echo 3D UTE sequence and the images created by subtracting the second-echo from the first-echo 3D UTE sequence (subtracted 3D UTE) and the intraobserver and interobserver agreements for 3D UTE overall were also tested. The CEP abnormalities on the 3D UTE images correlated with the Miyazaki grading of the T2-weighted SE images. RESULTS: In the volunteer study, the CEP was well visualized on 3D UTE images but not on T2-weighted SE images (p < 0.001). In the patient study, for evaluation of CEP abnormalities, intersequence agreements were substantial to almost perfect, intraobserver agreements were substantial to almost perfect, and interobserver agreements were moderate to substantial (p < 0.001). All of the CEP abnormalities correlated with the Miyazaki grade with statistical significance (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional UTE MRI feasibly depicts the CEP and CEP abnormalities, which may be associated with the severity of disk degeneration on T2-weighted SE MRI.
Entities:
Keywords:
cartilaginous endplate; cervical disk; ultrashort TE
Authors: Lucas Wolharn; Roman Guggenberger; Kai Higashigaito; Thomas Sartoretti; Sebastian Winklhofer; Christine B Chung; Tim Finkenstaedt Journal: Skeletal Radiol Date: 2022-06-30 Impact factor: 2.128
Authors: Tim Finkenstaedt; Reni Biswas; Nirusha A Abeydeera; Palanan Siriwanarangsun; Robert Healey; Sheronda Statum; Won C Bae; Christine B Chung Journal: Invest Radiol Date: 2019-06 Impact factor: 6.016