Gopal Varma1, Fotini Kourtelidis1, Alexander Ivanishev, 12, Robert L. Greenman1, David B. Hackney3, Robert E. Lenkinski, 12, Elena Vinogradov, 12
1Radiology, Division of MR Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; 2Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; 3Neuroradiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
The assessment of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in intervertebral discs might provide early indication of disc degeneration. Non-invasive MR techniques associated with GAG assessment include the use of spectroscopy, sodium imaging and chemical exchange saturation transfer. A preliminary analysis of these methods is provided, which includes application to the L4/L5 IVD of volunteers at different ages, as a first step towards a more complete evaluation.