Marth Adrian A, Feuerriegel Georg Constantin, Wanivenhaus Florian, Nanz Daniel, Sutter Reto
From the Department of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland (A.A.M., G.C.F., R.S.); Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging, Balgrist Campus AG, Zurich, Switzerland (A.A.M., D.N.); Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland (F.W.); and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (D.N., R.S.).
Invest Radiol. 2025 Feb 1;60(2):145-150. doi: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000001113. Epub 2024 Aug 12.
7 T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can offer superior spatial resolution compared with lower field strengths. However, its use for imaging of the lumbosacral plexus has been constrained by technical challenges and therefore remained relatively unexplored. Therefore, this study investigated the feasibility of 7 T MR neurography by means of comparing the visibility of the spinal nerves and image quality to 3 T MR neurography.
In this monocentric, institutional review board-approved, prospective study, 30 healthy subjects underwent acquisition time-matched 7 T MR neurography and 3 T MR neurography of the lumbar spine using a 3-dimensional dual-echo steady-state sequence. Visibility of the nerve root, dorsal root ganglia, and spinal nerve fascicles of L1-S1, along with image artifacts and overall image quality, were compared between the different field strengths by 2 radiologists using 4-point Likert scales (1 = poor, 4 = excellent). Comparisons between field strengths were made using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and interobserver agreement was assessed.
7 T MR neurography enabled significantly improved visualization of the lumbar nerve roots, dorsal root ganglia, and spinal nerve fascicles ( P ≤ 0.002). Compared with 3 T MR neurography, no difference in overall image quality was observed ( P = 0.211), although 7 T MR imaging exhibited significantly increased image artifacts ( P < 0.001). Interobserver agreement (κ) for qualitative measures ranged from 0.71 to 0.88 for 7 T, and from 0.75 to 0.91 for 3 T.
7 T MR neurography allowed for improved visualization of lumbar spinal nerves, whereas overall image quality was comparable to 3 T MR neurography. This supports the feasibility of 7 T MR neurography of the lumbosacral plexus, even though image artifacts at 7 T were significantly increased.
与低场强相比，7T磁共振（MR）成像可提供更高的空间分辨率。然而，其在腰骶丛成像中的应用受到技术挑战的限制，因此仍相对未被充分探索。因此，本研究通过比较脊神经的可视性和图像质量与3T MR神经成像，探讨了7T MR神经成像的可行性。
在这项经机构审查委员会批准的单中心前瞻性研究中，30名健康受试者使用三维双回波稳态序列接受了腰椎的时间匹配的7T MR神经成像和3T MR神经成像。两名放射科医生使用4点李克特量表（1 = 差，4 = 优）比较不同场强下L1 - S1神经根、背根神经节和脊神经束的可视性，以及图像伪影和整体图像质量。使用Wilcoxon符号秩检验进行场强之间的比较，并评估观察者间的一致性。
7T MR神经成像能够显著改善腰神经根、背根神经节和脊神经束的可视化（P≤0.002）。与3T MR神经成像相比，尽管7T MR成像的图像伪影显著增加（P < 0.001），但整体图像质量未观察到差异（P = 0.211）。7T定性测量的观察者间一致性（κ）范围为0.71至0.88,3T为0.75至
