BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Experimental studies have shown that solutes diffuse more slowly into degenerated intervertebral disks than into normal disks. A noninvasive clinical study of diffusion in intervertebral disks is not generally available. Our purpose was to evaluate contrast-enhanced MR images to study diffusion in normal and degenerated lumbar intervertebral disks. METHODS The change in...

Lumbar disk lesions in 47 cases were initially diagnosed using MRI investigation, then, after surgery, biological and histopathological aspects of intervertebral disks were revealed. Pieces from intervertebral disks were used for electron microscopy studies in order to determine collagen in the components of the intervertebral disk. The aim of the present study was to highlight the corresponden...

PURPOSE To compare MR contrast enhancement of intervertebral disk tissue after intravenous administration of equimolar doses of an ionic and of a nonionic gadolinium complex. METHODS Contrast enhancement was measured on MR in lumbar intervertebral disks for 120 minutes after intravenous injection of gadoteridol or gadopentetate dimeglumine, 0.3 mmol/kg. MR studies were performed with each con...

PURPOSE To determine the feasibility of measuring diffusion into human intervertebral disks by means of MR imaging with an intravenous nonionic gadolinium complex (gadoteridol). METHODS In 18 patients undergoing lumbar spine MR imaging, signal intensity was measured in the intervertebral disks after a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg and after a supplemental dose of 0.2 mmol/kg. RESULTS Signal intensity...

PURPOSE To measure the rate of enhancement in immature intervertebral disks in comparison with that of mature disks after intravenous administration of gadolinium-containing contrast media. METHODS Four rabbits were imaged with MR for 120 minutes after the injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine, gadoteridol, or gadodiamide. Contrast enhancement was measured in the lumbar intervertebral disks ...

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that diffusion of contrast medium into the intervertebral disk is affected by the integrity of the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus. METHODS In canine intervertebral disks, defects were made in the annulus fibrosus and nuclear material was removed from the disk with a nucleotome. MR imaging was performed with intravenous contrast medium at 15, 30, 60, and 9...

MR imaging after IV gadolinium-DTPA administration has demonstrated contrast enhancement in traumatized lumbar intervertebral disks. To characterize the morbid anatomy that correlates with the contrast enhancement, we developed a canine model of traumatized intervertebral disks. Diskectomy was performed with a nucleotome and the spines were imaged biweekly with MR and Gd-DTPA. The spines were s...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Because it diminishes the stiffness of the intervertebral disk, disk degeneration results in abnormal motions of the spine. Therefore, disk degeneration associated with back pain may indicate spinal fusion. The purpose of this study was to correlate the MR appearance and stiffness of lumbar intervertebral disks. METHODS Eighty-two lumbar spinal segments were imaged with...