Abstract
To prospectively compare the effectiveness of iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) T2-weighted and contrast material-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with that of a conventional MR imaging protocol in minimizing metallic artifacts in phantoms and in patients with metallic hardware after spinal surgery. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this study. Coronal T1- and T2-weighted MR images of six titanium alloy pedicle screws in an oil bath containing tubes filled with diluted gadolinium contrast medium were obtained with frequency-selective fat saturation (FSFS) and IDEAL. Axial T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging of the spine was performed with FSFS and IDEAL at 22 lumbar levels in 19 patients. Two musculoskeletal radiologists qualitatively analyzed the images in terms of the visualization of paravertebral muscle and the spinal canal region, uniformity of fat saturation, and noise. The paired images were rated by using a five-point scale. For the quantitative study with phantoms, the short- and long-axis lengths of metallic artifacts were determined on signal intensity profiles. In the phantom study, metallic artifact size was markedly decreased in the IDEAL T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (P < .001). In the clinical study, IDEAL T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images enabled significantly improved visualization of the dural sac (P < .001), spinal muscles (P < .05), uniformity of fat saturation (P < .001), and noise (P < .05). IDEAL T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging examinations effectively reduce the degree of tissue-obscuring artifacts produced by spinal fixation hardware and improve image quality compared with FSFS T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101856/-/DC1.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
