In vivo quantification of human lumbar disc degeneration using T1ρ-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
In vivo quantification of human lumbar disc degeneration using T1ρ-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
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DOI：
10.1007/s00586-006-0083-2
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发表时间：
2006-08-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Elliott, Dawn M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Auerbach, Joshua D.;Johannessen, Wade;Elliott, Dawn M.
随着新兴治疗技术的发展，早期椎间盘退变的诊断方法和生物标志物（例如，核置换、全椎间盘置换术、细胞治疗、生长因子治疗）需要作为腰椎融合治疗下腰痛的替代方法。我们最近在尸体人类椎间盘中展示了一种MR成像和分析技术，自旋锁定T-1 rth加权MRI，它可以提供定量、客观和无创的椎间盘退变评估。本研究的目的是评估体内使用T-1 rho MRI检测椎间盘退变的可行性。我们评估了10名40-60岁无症状的受试者。每个受试者在1.5 T全身临床磁共振扫描仪上成像。从一系列T-1 rho加权图像生成的图中计算髓核中心感兴趣的圆形区域的平均T-1 rho值。根据Pfirmann分类系统，从常规t -2加权图像评估每个腰椎间盘的退行性分级。T-1 rho松弛与椎间盘退变有显著相关性（r = -0.51, P < 0.01），这与我们之前的尸体研究结果一致，我们证明了T-1 rho与蛋白多糖含量之间的相关性。该技术允许在连续而不是基于整数的尺度上进行空间测量，最大限度地减少了观察者偏差的可能性，具有比T-2加权成像更大的动态范围，并且可以在1.5 T临床扫描仪上实现，而无需对硬件进行重大修改。因此，在体内使用T-1 rho作为蛋白聚糖丢失和早期椎间盘退变的非侵入性生物标志物具有很大的潜力。
Diagnostic methods and biomarkers of early disc degeneration are needed as emerging treatment technologies develop (e.g., nucleus replacement, total disc arthroplasty, cell therapy, growth factor therapy) to serve as an alternative to lumbar spine fusion in treatment of low back pain. We have recently demonstrated in cadaveric human discs an MR imaging and analysis technique, spin-lock T-1 rho-weighted MRI, which may provide a quantitative, objective, and noninvasive assessment of disc degeneration. The goal of the present study was to assess the feasibility of using T-1 rho MRI in vivo to detect intervertebral disc degeneration. We evaluated ten asymptomatic 40-60-year-old subjects. Each subject was imaged on a 1.5 T wholebody clinical MR scanner. Mean T-1 rho values from a circular region of interest in the center of the nucleus pulposus were calculated from maps generated from a series of T-1 rho-weighted images. The degenerative grade of each lumbar disc was assessed from conventional T-2-weighted images according to the Pfirmann classification system. The T-1 rho relaxation correlated significantly with disc degeneration (r = -0.51, P < 0.01) and the values were consistent with our previous cadaveric study, in which we demonstrated correlation between T-1 rho and proteoglycan content. The technique allows for spatial measurements on a continuous rather than an integer-based scale, minimizes the potential for observer bias, has a greater dynamic range than T-2-weighted imaging, and can be implemented on a 1.5 T clinical scanner without significant hardware modifications. Thus, there is a strong potential to use T-1 rho in vivo as a non-invasive biomarker of proteoglycan loss and early disc degeneration.