Clinical implementation of accelerated T2 mapping: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging as a biomarker for annular tear and lumbar disc herniation

• Published in: European radiology 2021-06, Vol.31 (6), p.3590-3599
• Main Authors: Raudner, Marcus, Schreiner, Markus M., Hilbert, Tom, Kober, Tobias, Weber, Michael, Szelényi, Anna, Windhager, Reinhard, Juras, Vladimir, Trattnig, Siegfried
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Degeneration; Diagnostic Radiology; Echoes; Image reconstruction; Image segmentation; Imaging; Injuries; Internal Medicine; Interventional Radiology; Intervertebral discs; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mapping; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Musculoskeletal; Neuroradiology; Nucleus pulposus; Radiology; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 0938-7994; 1432-1084; 1432-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-020-07538-6

Objectives This study evaluates GRAPPATINI, an accelerated T 2 mapping sequence combining undersampling and model-based reconstruction to facilitate the clinical implementation of T 2 mapping of the lumbar intervertebral disc. Methods Fifty-eight individuals (26 females, 32 males, age 23.3 ± 8.0 years) were prospectively examined at 3 T. This cohort study consisted of 19 patients, 20 rowers, and 19 volunteers. GRAPPATINI was conducted with the same parameters as a conventional 2D multi-echo spin-echo (MESE) sequence in 02:27 min instead of 13:18 min. Additional T 2 maps were calculated after discarding the first echo (T 2-WO1ST ) and only using even echoes (T 2-EVEN ). Segmentation was done on the four most central slices. The resulting T 2 values were compared for all four measurements. Results T 2-GRAPPATINI , T 2-MESE , T 2-EVEN , and T 2-WO1ST of the nucleus pulposus of normal discs differed significantly from those of bulging discs or herniated discs (all p