Castelein Johannes, Jensen Tue Secher, Borra Ronald, Kettless Karen, Brix Lau, Kawchuk Greg
Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
2nd Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
Case Rep Med. 2025 Apr 13;2025:5383659. doi: 10.1155/carm/5383659. eCollection 2025.
Degenerative disk disease (DDD) is a progressive condition that occurs when the intervertebral discs (IVDs), which act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae, degenerate or wear out. Due to this degeneration process, the mechanical properties of the IVD, providing flexibility between adjacent vertebrae, can change. Thus, assessing these mechanical properties may improve diagnosis and treatment guidance for DDD. In this article, we tested in vivo multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) of the human IVD in identifying progressively DDD in three asymptomatic male volunteers aged 32, 50, and 60 years. MMRE of the lumbar spine was acquired using a dual-actuator setup and operated at four frequencies from 60 to 90 Hz. MMRE data were postprocessed using multifrequency wave-number recovery (k-MDEV) inversion algorithm. The resulting shear wave speed (SWS) values were used as a surrogate parameter of tissue stiffness and then compared to Pfirrmann grading (Pf) of disc degeneration (1-5) performed by an experienced MRI spine researcher. Morphological Pf demonstrated an inverse relationship between increasing IVD stiffness and progressive IVD degeneration by a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of = -0.792, < 0.001. MMRE allows measurement of in vivo mechanical properties of IVDs and may provide additional information in disc degeneration beyond standard morphological changes. Prior to the clinical use of this technique, future studies should be conducted to evaluate the reproducibility and repeatability of spinal MMRE in the spine, and particularly its potential confounders.
椎间盘退变疾病（DDD）是一种渐进性病症，当作为椎骨间减震器的椎间盘（IVD）发生退变或磨损时就会出现。由于这种退变过程，IVD在相邻椎骨间提供灵活性的力学性能会发生改变。因此，评估这些力学性能可能会改善DDD的诊断和治疗指导。在本文中，我们对三名年龄分别为32岁、50岁和60岁的无症状男性志愿者的人体IVD进行了体内多频磁共振弹性成像（MMRE），以识别渐进性DDD。使用双驱动装置获取腰椎的MMRE，并在60至90Hz的四个频率下运行。MMRE数据使用多频波数恢复（k-MDEV）反演算法进行后处理。所得的剪切波速度（SWS）值用作组织硬度的替代参数，然后与由经验丰富的MRI脊柱研究人员进行的椎间盘退变Pfirrmann分级（Pf，1-5级）进行比较。形态学Pf显示，IVD硬度增加与IVD渐进性退变之间呈负相关，Spearman等级相关系数为=-0.792，<0.001。MMRE能够测量IVD的体内力学性能，并且可能在椎间盘退变中提供超出标准形态学变化的额外信息。在该技术临床应用之前，应开展进一步研究以评估脊柱MMRE在脊柱中的可重复性和可再现性，尤其是其潜在的混杂因素。
