Meeting Banner
Abstract #0053

In Plane T2 Mapping & Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Lumbar Nerve Roots Using a Reduced-FOV Acquisition

Dimitrios C. Karampinos1, Gerd Melkus1, Timothy M. Shepherd1, Suchandrima Banerjee2, Emine U. Saritas3, Ajit Shankaranarayanan2, Chistopher P. Hess1, Thomas M. Link1, William P. Dillon1, Sharmila Majumdar1

1Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; 2Global Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Menlo Park, CA, United States; 3Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States

T2 mapping and diffusion tensor imaging may quantitate inflammatory changes to lumbar nerve roots affected by degenerative spine disease. However, imaging spinal nerve roots accurately is difficult due to their small caliber and oblique course in all three planes. We describe initial success using a reduced-FOV single-shot spin-echo EPI acquisition to obtain T2 mapping and DTI of the bilateral lumbar nerve roots at the L4 level for healthy volunteers.

Abstract PDF Presentation Video

Keywords

abnormalities acquisition acquisitions actual adjacent aging allow anisotropy applied artifacts attributed axial axons bandwidth bilateral bioengineering biomedical breathing cell channel coil common complex computed consistent consistently cord coronal course created delineate detect determined difficult diffusion diffusivity dimensional disorder displace disruption distal distally distortion distortions divided dorsal drawn enables excitation exit fact fast field finally fractional ganglia generation generator geometric geometries global gradient healthy hence identify impingement included indirect inferior inflammation inflammatory inherent irritation laboratory lateral least linear link localization long longer lumbar making mapping maps matrix minutes muscle nerve nerves neuronal oblique overall pain pair partial particular previous prior projection properties protocol protocols quantification radiology reconstructions reduced reformats reliable resolve respectively rest resultant root roots sample scanned scanner science shot sides site slice slices spin spinal spine squares structural structures studies subjects subsequent suggests suppression surrounding symptoms target targeted tensor therapy timothy understanding unfortunately units variance view visualized volume volunteers whole