Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine is a noninvasive procedure to evaluate different types of tissue, including the spinal cord, vertebral disks and spaces between the vertebrae through which the nerves travel, as well as distinguish healthy tissue from diseased tissue.
The cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine MRI should be scanned in individual sections. The scan protocol parameter like e.g. the field of view (FOV), slice thickness and matrix are usually different for cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine MRI, but the method is similar. The standard views in the basic spinal MRI scan to create detailed slices (cross sections) are sagittal T1 weighted and T2 weighted images over the whole body part, and transverse (e.g. multi angle oblique) over the region of interest with different pulse sequences according to the result of the sagittal slices. Additional views or different types of pulse sequences like fat suppression, fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) or diffusion weighted imaging are created dependent on the indication.

Indications:

Contrast enhanced MRI techniques delineate infections vs. malignancies, show a syrinx cavity and support to differentiate the postoperative conditions. After surgery for disk disease, significant fibrosis can occur in the spine. This scarring can mimic residual disk herniation. Magnetic resonance myelography evaluates spinal stenosis and various intervertebral discs can be imaged with multi angle oblique techniques. Cine series can be used to show true range of motion studies of parts of the spine. Advanced open MRI devices are developed to perform positional scans in the position of pain or symptom (e.g. Uprightâ„¢ MRI formerly Stand-Up MRI).

Quick Overview

An artifact on a MR image can appear when data read off an optical disc became corrupted. There two effects can be seen.
Firstly, Bands where the intensity has been incorrectly interpreted or secondly areas, where the horizontal position of the pixels has been incorrectly displayed. It is important to be able to differentiate between artifacts caused during a MRI scan, from those caused by the associated hardware of an imaging system.

Review the hardware and store the images on a new disc.

Quick Overview

The entry slice phenomenon arise in MRI when blood with unsaturated spins flows in the observed slice(s). These spins will emit a strong signal, because of their unsaturated status (flow related enhancement). The number of slices affected depends on the flow velocity and the slice thickness; the direction of flow determines which slices are affected. Time of Flight MRA is based on this entry slice phenomenon.

See also Flow Compensation, Flow Related Enhancement, Artifact Overview and Artifacts Reduction Index.

Quick Overview

A disturbance of the field homogeneity, because of magnetic material (inside or outside the patient), technical problems or scanning at the edge of the field.
When images were obtained in a progression from the center to the edge of the coil, the homogeneity of the field observed by the imaged volume, changes when the distance from the center of the volume increase. The same problem appears by scanning at a distance from the isocenter in left-right direction or too large field of view.
There are different types of bad image quality, the images are noisy, distorted or the fat suppression doesn't work because of badly set shim currents.
E.g. by using an IR sequence, changes in the T1 recovery rates of the tissues are involved. The inversion time at the center of the imaged volume is appropriate to suppress fat, but at the edge of the coil the same inversion time is sufficient to suppress water. Since the inversion time is not changed, the T1 recovery rates will increase.

Take a smaller imaging volume (and for fat suppression a volume shimming), take care that the imaged region is at the center of the coil and that no magnetic material is inside the imaging volume.

(MIP) MRA images can be processed by Maximum Intensity Projection to interactively create different projections. The MIP connects the high intensity dots of the blood vessels in three dimensions, providing an angiogram that can be viewed from any projection. Each point in the MIP represents the highest intensity experienced in that location on any partition within the imaging volume.
For complete interpretation the base slices should also be reviewed individually and with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) software. The MIP can then be displayed in a CINE format or filmed as multiple images acquired from different projections. Although the maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm is sensitive to high signal from inflowing spins, it is also sensitive to high signal of any other etiology.