Virtual Anatomy of Spinal Disorders by 3-D MRI/CT Fusion Imaging

Both CT and MRI are widely known to be important tools in diagnosing spinal disorders. However, even when three-dimensional data are collected, images are often presented in two dimensions and in monochrome. Furthermore, CT and MRI represent different types of information, and it is very difficult for doctors to mentally fuse these images. We have been working to overcome these challenges, and reported the first 3-D MRI/CT fusion images of the cranio-vertebral junction (Kamogawa, 2009). We have since continued to develop the technique, and have used it to visualize the lumbar nerve root (Misaki, 2009; Yamanaka 2010).