TY - JOUR T1 - High-Resolution Surface-Coil Imaging of Lumbar Disk Disease JF - American Journal of Neuroradiology JO - Am. J. Neuroradiol. SP - 479 LP - 485 VL - 6 IS - 4 AU - Robert R. Edelman AU - Gregory M. Shoukimas AU - David D. Stark AU - Kenneth R. Davis AU - Paul F. J. New AU - Sanjay Saini AU - Daniel I. Rosenthal AU - Gary L. Wismer AU - Thomas J. Brady Y1 - 1985/07/01 UR - http://www.ajnr.org/content/6/4/479.abstract N2 - Seventeen patients with lumbar disk disease were studied using a prototype magnetic resonance (MR) surface coil. The high signal-to-noise ratio achieved with the surface coil permitted increases in spatial resolution to 0.9 × 0.9 mm in-plane resolution with 5 mm slice thickness. The surface coil was also compatible with multiplanar, multiecho imaging techniques. The spatial resolution achieved in this study was nearly equivalent to that achieved by state-of-the-art computed tomographic (CT) scanners, and MR showed a superior range of soft-tissue contrast. One significant limitation of MR was its inability to demonstrate small calcifications. Nevertheless, MR imaging provided diagnostic information comparable to CT or myelography in a completely noninvasive manner. With further technical advances, MR is likely to become the initial procedure of choice for evaluating patients with suspected lumbar disk disease. ER -