Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of vertebral bodies: A T1 and T2 study

doi:10.1016/0730-725X(89)90320-2

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Volume 7, Issue 1, January–February 1989, Pages 17-23

https://doi.org/10.1016/0730-725X(89)90320-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Multiple point T₁ and T₂ values of 424 vertebral bodies were measured and analysed. The influence of several factors including age, sex, location in the spine and status of neighbouring discs on the measured relaxation times were evaluated. The results indicate limitations in the region of interest approach. Vertebral bodies of different age, sex and location in the spine could not be distinguished. For heterogeneous tissues a more advanced form of image analysis appears to be essential. Diurnal factors resulting from the stress of normal ambulatory activity caused increased variation in vertebral body relaxation time values.

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Citation Excerpt :
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Our purpose was to demonstrate the effects of localized radiotherapy on lumbar vertebral bone marrow with the use of quantitative MRI with measurements of T₂ relaxation times. Ten patients with early stage testicular seminoma with a history of radiation therapy to a “dog-leg” field including the lumbar vertebrae underwent MR imaging of their lumbar spine using a 0.5 Tesla magnet. Five healthy subjects and two nonirradiated patients were imaged as well. The intervals from the beginning of radiotherapy to MRI examination varied from 1.5 to 52 months, and the radiation dose ranged from 3000–4200 cGy. The T₂ relaxation times of the lumbar vertebral bone marrow and subcutaneous fat were calculated for each subject. Postirradiation bone marrow in irradiated seminoma patients exhibited significantly longer T₂ relaxation times than nonirradiated bone marrow in controls (71.1 vs. 63.6 ms, p = 0.047, t-test). The differences between the T₂ relaxation times of bone marrow and subcutaneous fat for each subject allowed for even better differentiation between irradiated patients and controls (10.4 vs. 0.4 ms, p = 0.0004, t-test). Postirradiation bone marrow had significantly longer T₂ relaxation times than subcutaneous fat in irradiated patients (N = 10, 71.1 vs. 60.7 ms, p = 0.00009, t-test), while nonirradiated bone marrow had T₂ relaxation times not statistically different from subcutaneous fat in nonirradiated subjects (N = 7, 63.6 vs. 63.2 ms). Measurements of T₂ relaxation times of bone marrow enabled us to differentiate between irradiated seminoma patients and controls. Postirradiation bone marrow undergoes late radiation effects resulting in longer T₂ relaxation times than nonirradiated bone marrow and subcutaneous fat.
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Clinical interpretation of the subtle changes present in MR images in the setting of disease currently relies on subjective image analysis. Image evaluation could potentially be improved by computerized segmentation and precise quantification of the image anatomy. However, this cannot be automated unless reliable navigation within an image is established, capable of compensating for unpredictable factors such as anatomical variability, positioning of an image plane in the body, and variable image characteristics. Focusing on the lower spinal region, this paper explores the presence of image- and anatomy-invariant features which facilitate automated, unconstrained identification, and localization of basic lower spine anatomy.
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Reproducibility of relaxometry of human lumbar vertebrae at 3 Tesla using <sup>1</sup> H MR spectroscopy
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Original contributionQuantitative magnetic resonance imaging of vertebral bodies: A T1 and T2 study

Abstract

J. Comput. Assist. Tomog.

Orthopedic Clinics of North America

J. Magn. Reson.

Elementary mathematical statistics

A review of normal tissue hydrogen NMR relaxation times and relaxation mechanisms from 1–100 MHz: Dependence on tissue type, NMR frequency, temperature, species, excision and age

Med. Phys.

An atlas of the blood and bone marrow

The effects of bone on proton NMR relaxation times of surrounding liquids

Investigative Radiology

The physiological oscillation of the length of the body

Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica

Bone marrow imaging: magnetic resonance studies related to age and sex

Radiology

Quantitative histological studies on age changes in bone

J. Path. and Bact.

Rate of spinal trabecular bone loss in normal perimenopausal women: CT measurement

Radiology

Quantitative computed tomography for spinal mineral assessment: Current status

J. Comput. Assist. Tomog.

Vertebral mineral determination by quantitative CT: clinical feasibility and normative data

J. Comput. Assist. Tomog.

Histology of aging

Gerontol. and Geriat. Ed.

A method for the clinical measurement of relaxation times in magnetic resonance imaging

Brit. J. Radiology

Analysis of magnetic resonance images from normal and degenerate lumbar intervertebral discs

Spine

Original contribution
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of vertebral bodies: A T₁ and T₂ study