Abstract
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.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (3.8 MB).