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T1rho and T2 relaxation times for lumbar disc degeneration: an in vivo comparative study at 3.0-Tesla MRI

  • Musculoskeletal
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objective

To determine the relative performance of T1rho and T2 relaxation times in disc degeneration assessment.

Methods

Lumbar sagittal MRI was performed at 3 T in 52 subjects. With a spin-lock frequency of 500 Hz, T1rho was measured using a rotary echo spin-lock pulse embedded in a three-dimensional (3D) balanced fast field echo sequence. A multi-echo TSE sequence was used for T2 mapping. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn over the T1rho and T2 maps, including nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF). Eight- and five-level disc degeneration semi-quantitative grading was performed.

Results

For NP, T1rho and T2 decreased quadratically with disc degeneration grades and had no significant trend difference (P = 0.40). For AF, T1rho decreased linearly as the disc degenerated and had a slope of −3.02 and −4.56 for eight- and five-level gradings respectively; while the slopes for T2 values were −1.43 and −1.84 respectively, being significantly flatter than those of T1rho (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in T1rho and T2 values for both NP and AF among discs of grade 5/8 to 8/8 degeneration.

Conclusion

T1rho is better suited for evaluating AF in degenerated disc than T2. In NP, T1rho and T2 decrease in a similar pattern following disc degeneration.

Key Points

• MRI provides unique information about the lumbar disc nucleus pulposus

• Both T1rho and T2 relaxation times decrease similarly following disc degeneration

• AF T1rho relaxation times decrease progressively faster than T2 relaxation times

• T2 and T1rho relaxation times do not reduce further by disc-space narrowing

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Abbreviations

AF:

Annulus fibrosus

NP:

Nucleus pulposus

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Hong Kong ITF grant ITS/021/10, and partially by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR (Project No. CUHK475911, CUHK418811, and No. SEG_CUHK02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Yi-Xiang J. Wang, Feng Zhao, James F. Griffith, Anil T. Ahuja & Jing Yuan

  2. Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China

    Greta S. P. Mok

  3. Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control, School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Jason C. S. Leung

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  1. Yi-Xiang J. Wang
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  2. Feng Zhao
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Correspondence to Yi-Xiang J. Wang.

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Wang, YX.J., Zhao, F., Griffith, J.F. et al. T1rho and T2 relaxation times for lumbar disc degeneration: an in vivo comparative study at 3.0-Tesla MRI. Eur Radiol 23, 228–234 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2591-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-012-2591-2

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