Dynamic MRI of the spine

Abstract

Spinal imaging is one of the most important diagnostic tools for assessing spine pathologies. The advent of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) allowed much more detailed evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries including the spine. However, because of the structural limitations of MRI equipment, patient scanning has been limited to supine or prone positions without weight-bearing, which renders static images in fixed positions. Specifically, dynamic evaluation of the spine with functional loading has not been possible. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.