3D SOLITARY SEQUENCE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE DOG SPINE IN HANSEN TYPE I INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISEASE

摘要

SPACE (Sampling Perfection with Application optimized Contrasts using different flip angleEvolutions) is a T2-weighted three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging sequence. Currently, 2 dimensional T2-weighted spin echo imaging is the gold standard diagnostic imaging for thoracolumbar intervertebral disk disease. SPACE is potentially advantageous to standard MRI in that it is a single acquisition, faster, technically easier modality with higher resolution and the potential to reconstruct the image set in any plane of section. The purpose of this study is to determine the agreement between SPACE and T2-weighted standard spin echo imaging sequences in the presence of Hansen Type I intervertebral disk disease in the thoracolumbar spine of dogs to determine if SPACE is a viable imaging sequence in the canine patient. Our hypothesis was that the MRI sequence SPACE is able to positively identify Hansen Type 1 intervertebral disk disease with equal accuracy to standard T2-weighted spin echo imaging.