OBJECTIVES: The authors attempted to find out if magnetization transfer (MT) imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides new information of disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Magnetization transfer technique improves soft-tissue contrast and characterization. It measures the cross-relaxation and chemical exchange processes between free and macromolecule-bound water protons in tissues. METHODS: The lumbar MRI and MT of four living subjects and six cadaveric spines were performed at 0.1 T. Disc water, protein, proteoglycan, and collagen contents of cadaveric samples were correlated to MT parameters. RESULTS: The rate of magnetization transfer between free-water protons and the macromolecule-bound protons was elevated in degenerated discs. A positive correlation was found between disc collagen and total protein concentration and the rate of transfer. The contrast of normal and degenerated discs on MT images was not altered much. CONCLUSIONS: More studies are needed to fully establish the importance of MT processes in the disc.
OBJECTIVES: The authors attempted to find out if magnetization transfer (MT) imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides new information of disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Magnetization transfer technique improves soft-tissue contrast and characterization. It measures the cross-relaxation and chemical exchange processes between free and macromolecule-bound water protons in tissues. METHODS: The lumbar MRI and MT of four living subjects and six cadaveric spines were performed at 0.1 T. Disc water, protein, proteoglycan, and collagen contents of cadaveric samples were correlated to MT parameters. RESULTS: The rate of magnetization transfer between free-water protons and the macromolecule-bound protons was elevated in degenerated discs. A positive correlation was found between disc collagen and total protein concentration and the rate of transfer. The contrast of normal and degenerated discs on MT images was not altered much. CONCLUSIONS: More studies are needed to fully establish the importance of MT processes in the disc.
Authors: A Christe; R Läubli; R Guzman; U Berlemann; R J Moore; G Schroth; P Vock; K O Lövblad Journal: Neuroradiology Date: 2005-09-01 Impact factor: 2.804
Authors: S A Nagy; I Juhasz; H Komaromy; K Pozsar; I Zsigmond; G Perlaki; G Orsi; A Schwarcz; N Walter; T Doczi; P Bogner Journal: Clin Neuroradiol Date: 2013-11-12 Impact factor: 3.649
Authors: Joshua D Auerbach; Wade Johannessen; Arijitt Borthakur; Andrew J Wheaton; Carol A Dolinskas; Richard A Balderston; Ravinder Reddy; Dawn M Elliott Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2006-03-22 Impact factor: 3.134
Authors: John Antoniou; Laura M Epure; Arthur J Michalek; Michael P Grant; James C Iatridis; Fackson Mwale Journal: J Magn Reson Imaging Date: 2013-04-30 Impact factor: 4.813