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Evaluation of the degenerative lumbar osseous morphology using zero echo time magnetic resonance imaging (ZTE-MRI)

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine and compare the performance of zero echo imaging (ZTE) with conventional MRI sequences on lumbar osseous morphology in patients suspected with lumbar degeneration with multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) as standard reference.

Methods

22 subjects with concerned lumbar degeneration were recruited. All subjects were scanned with ZTE sequence after routine conventional MR sequences on a 3.0 T system and also received MSCT examination. Image quality was assessed. The quantitative and qualitative parameters of lumbar osseous morphology on MSCT, ZTE and MRI images were evaluated by three musculoskeletal radiologists independently. Inter-reader and inter-modality reliability and the difference between the modalities were calculated.

Results

There was no difference for the osseous parameters between modalities, including axial orientation (p = 0.444), IAD (p = 0.381), lateral recess (p = 0.370), pedicle width (p = 0.067), pedicle height (p = 0.056), and osteophyte grade (p = 0.052). The measurement of the foramina diameter was statistically different between conventional MRI and MSCT (p < 0.05) but not between the MSCT and ZTE (p = 0.660). Conventional MRI was more likely to miss cortical bone abnormalities. ZTE appeared blurrier in cortical bone than MSCT, especially in cases with severe lumbar degeneration. The inter-reader agreement between MSCT and ZTE-MRI was higher than between MSCT and conventional MRI.

Conclusions

ZTE-MRI could offer more cortical bone details than conventional MRI images and might be a valid alternative to CT for lumbar osseous morphology assessment to some extent.

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Acknowledgements

We thank to Weiyin Vivian Liu from GE health for her excellent technical support and advice on the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 31630025 and 81930045) National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 31630025, Xiaoming Li, No.81930045, Xiaoming Li

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China

    Bowen Hou, Chanyuan Liu, Yitong Li, Yan Xiong, Jingyi Wang & Xiaoming Li

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

    Peisen Zhang

  3. Renhe Shijia, Chongren, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, China

    Jianyi Liu

  4. GE Healthcare, 4th floor, building 1, No.1 courtyard, Tongji South Rd, Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, Beijing, China

    Weiyin Vivian Liu

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  1. Bowen Hou
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  8. Weiyin Vivian Liu
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Correspondence to Weiyin Vivian Liu or Xiaoming Li.

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Hou, B., Liu, C., Li, Y. et al. Evaluation of the degenerative lumbar osseous morphology using zero echo time magnetic resonance imaging (ZTE-MRI). Eur Spine J 31, 792–800 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-021-07099-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-021-07099-2

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