T1 imaging demonstrates inflammatory changes in disc endplates that were not visible in T1 or T2 weighted images

In some patients with low back pain, degenerative marrow changes are observed in the endplates around the degenerating intervertebral discs. These changes are classified based on the appearance of vertebrae in T1 and T2 weighted MRI. Type-1 changes usually involve early inflammatory changes and believed to play a role in pain generation. Type-2 changes generally involves conversion to fatty marrow. Although this classification is widely accepted, those images may not be sufficiently sensitive to early changes. Increases in T1 relaxation rate were reported in regions of inflammation in animals. Therefore, we tested the efficacy of T1 imaging in endplate degeneration.

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