Lumbosacral Spine MRI
Alternate Names : Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Lumbosacral Spine, MRI of Lumbosacral Spine, NMR - Lumbosacral Spine, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance - Lumbosacral Spine
Definition
A lumbosacral spine MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the structures that make up the spine, the spinal cord, and the spaces between the vertebrae through which the nerves travel.
Unlike conventional radiography and Computed Tomographic (CT) imaging, which make use of potentially harmful radiation (X-rays) passing through a patient to generate images, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is based on the magnetic properties of atoms.
A powerful magnet generates a magnetic field roughly 10,000 times stronger than the Earth's. A small percentage of hydrogen atoms within the body align with this field. Radio wave pulses are broadcast towards the hydrogen atoms in tissues of interest, returning a signal. The subtle differing characteristics of that signal from different tissues enables MRI to differentiate between various organs, and potentially, provide contrast between benign and malignant tissue.
Any imaging plane, or "slice", can be projected, and then stored in a computer or printed on film. MRI can easily be performed through clothing and bones, however, certain types of metal in or around the area of interest can cause significant errors in the reconstructed images.
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Why is the Test Performed?
After plain x-rays of the lower spine, MRI is usually the next non-invasive imaging test a doctor will use to investigate back pain and radiating leg pain. MRI is excellent at showing degenerative changes, such as from arthritis, which may be narrowing the spaces through which the spinal nerves travel.
In addition, MRI can demonstrate disease of the lumbar discs between vertebral levels which may be bulging and compression the spinal cord.
An MRI may be performed in a trauma setting to rule out acute compression of the spinal cord in the setting of weakness or paralysis. MRI is also superior to Computed Tomography (CT) in the evaluation of abscesses, tumors, or other masses near the spinal cord. While CT is better at detecting fractures of the vertebrae, MRI can detect subtle changes in the bone which may be due to infection or tumor.
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