Abstract #3331

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer and T2 Mapping in Subjects with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration at 3 Tesla

Mina Kim¹, Queenie Chan², Marina-Portia Anthony¹, Dino Samartzis³, Kenneth MC Cheung³, Pek-Lan Khong¹

¹Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China; ²Philips Healthcare, Hong Kong; ³Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and T2 relaxation time were calculated in subjects with degenerative intervertebral discs (IVDs). Our results showed that CEST and T2 decreases with increasing grade of disc degeneration and that CEST values significantly correlated with T2. This study demonstrated a potential for the future use of MRI biomarkers in identifying early degenerative changes in the IVDs.