Yayun Ji1, Jianqiang Fang1, Binyu Zhang1, Siyuan Mi1, Weiyin Vivian Liu2, Weian Zhao1, and Liheng Ma3
1Xianyang Central Hospital, Xianyang, China, 2MR research, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China, 3The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
This study aims to investigate if advanced UTE T2* Mapping MRI
quantitative sequence could sensitively assess the early changes in the biochemical
components of the cartilage endplate. This is the first study to divide the cartilage
endplate into the anterior, middle and posterior segments to assess the changes
in T2* value of the cartilage endplate. A significantly correlation of T2* and the
fat content of adjacent vertebral bodies was found. This might explain the
pathological mechanism of cartilage endplate injury, that is, bone marrow fat
content increased in vertebral body of degenerated intervertebral disc. To
sum up, UTE T2* Mapping could a potential imaging tool to early diagnose
cartilage endplate changes and assist clinical prevention of lumbar
intervertebral disc degeneration at an earlier stage.
