Upright Open MRI Upgrade for Biomechanics Research

申请者领导的研究项目利用UBC髋关节健康和活动中心(CHHM)直立式开放式磁共振成像(MRI)扫描仪(意大利热那亚帕拉米德的MROpen)的独特功能来研究人体生物力学。磁共振成像是生物力学中非常重要的研究工具，因为它提供了软组织(如肌肉、韧带、软骨)和硬组织(骨)的高分辨率图像，几乎不会对参与者造成风险。这款MRI扫描仪与其他扫描仪的不同之处在于，它的开放几何结构允许我们在功能位置获得这些图像，这使得MROpen成为生物力学研究的理想工具。*凭借这一独特的能力，我们正在使用MROpen：1)开发使用成像非侵入性评估软骨力学(例如应变、僵硬)的方法。我们的理论基础是，最重要的软骨力学指标(例如应变)不能在活人身上测量，这些工具的发展将为生物力学的研究开辟许多新的途径。2)了解解剖结构在说话和吞咽过程中的机械功能。MROpen扫描仪在直立时对患者进行成像的独特能力被用来确定重力是否在正常成年说话者和吞咽者的语音发音和吞咽过程中发挥重要作用。3)评估体位对脊柱肌肉生物力学的影响，并利用这些结果建立脊柱的生物力学模型，用于术前计划。这些项目由3名在关节生物力学、言语/吞咽和脊柱生物力学方面拥有国际经验的资深生物力学研究人员领导。*通过实施两个最新发布的升级，我们为直立开放式核磁共振扫描仪添加功能，这对我们计划的研究项目至关重要。第一个升级是我们所有研究项目的基础：一个新的光谱仪和软件包，将为我们提供执行有限运动伪影和参与者疲劳的负重扫描所需的成像速度和灵活性。这是实现软骨成像所需的新序列、语音和吞咽动态扫描所需的多通道能力以及评估真实横切区脊柱肌肉所需的3D环境所必需的。第二个升级是一个直立组件，包括一个具有完全脊椎覆盖的新脊柱线圈和一个集成的平坦参与者床/直立定位工具，旨在实现稳定的直立定位，这对我们拟议的负重姿势研究是必不可少的。这是为了限制我们所有直立图像中的运动伪影，允许定位线圈以达到我们所需的图像质量，并允许对整个脊柱进行成像。*每个相关的研究项目将为不同的HQP群体提供实践培训，主要是硕士和博士研究生以及博士后研究员。*

The applicants lead research programs that investigate human biomechanics using the unique capabilities of the upright open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner (MROpen, Paramed, Genoa, Italy) at UBC's Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM). MRI is a very important research tool in biomechanics because it provides high-resolution images of both soft tissues (e.g. muscle, ligament, cartilage) and hard tissues (bone) with almost no risk to the participant. What sets this MRI scanner apart from others is that its “open” geometry allows us to obtain these images in functional positions, which makes the MROpen an ideal tool for biomechanics research. ******With this unique capability, we are using the MROpen: 1) To develop methods to assess cartilage mechanics (eg strain, stiffness) noninvasively using imaging. Our rationale is that the most important measures of cartilage mechanics (eg strain) cannot be measured in living people, and that development of these tools would open up many new pathways of research in biomechanics. 2) To understand the mechanical function of anatomical structures during speech and swallowing. The unique capability of the MROpen scanner to image patients when upright is being used to determine whether gravity plays a significant role in which muscles are active during speech articulation and swallowing in normal adult speakers and swallowers. 3) To assess the effect of posture on spine muscle biomechanics and use these findings to develop a biomechanical model of the spine for preoperative planning. These programs are led by 3 senior biomechanics researchers with international profiles in joint biomechanics, speech/swallowing, and spine biomechanics. ******It is essential to our planned research programs that we add functionality to the Upright Open MRI scanner by implementing two newly-released upgrades. The first upgrade is fundamental to all of our research programs: a new spectrometer and software package that will give us the imaging speed and flexibility required to perform weight-bearing scans with limited motion artefact and participant fatigue. This is required to enable the new sequences we need for cartilage imaging, the multi-channel capability required for dynamic scans in speech and swallowing, and the 3D environment required to assess spine muscles in true cross-sectional area. The second upgrade, an upright package including a new spine coil with full spine coverage and an integrated flat participant bed/upright positioning tool designed to allow stable upright positioning, is essential to our proposed studies in weightbearing postures. This is required to limit motion artefact in all of our upright images, allow positioning of coils to achieve the image quality we require, and to allow imaging of the whole spine. ******Each of the associated programs of research will provide hands-on training to a diverse group of HQP, primarily Master's and PhD students and Postdoctoral fellows.*****