3D Ultrashort TE MRI for Evaluation of Cartilaginous Endplate of Cervical Disk In Vivo: Feasibility and Correlation With Disk Degeneration in T2-Weighted Spin-Echo Sequence.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3D ultrashort TE (UTE) MRI in depicting the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and its abnormalities and to investigate the association between CEP abnormalities and disk degeneration on T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) MR images in cervical disks in vivo. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight healthy volunteers and 70 patients were examined using 3-T MRI with the 3D UTE cones trajectory technique (TR/TE, 16.1/0.032, 6.6). In the volunteer study, quantitative and qualitative assessments of CEP depiction were conducted for the 3D UTE and T2-weighted SE imaging. In the patient study, CEP abnormalities were analyzed. Intersequence agreement between the images obtained with the first-echo 3D UTE sequence and the images created by subtracting the second-echo from the first-echo 3D UTE sequence (subtracted 3D UTE) and the intraobserver and interobserver agreements for 3D UTE overall were also tested. The CEP abnormalities on the 3D UTE images correlated with the Miyazaki grading of the T2-weighted SE images. RESULTS: In the volunteer study, the CEP was well visualized on 3D UTE images but not on T2-weighted SE images (p < 0.001). In the patient study, for evaluation of CEP abnormalities, intersequence agreements were substantial to almost perfect, intraobserver agreements were substantial to almost perfect, and interobserver agreements were moderate to substantial (p < 0.001). All of the CEP abnormalities correlated with the Miyazaki grade with statistical significance (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional UTE MRI feasibly depicts the CEP and CEP abnormalities, which may be associated with the severity of disk degeneration on T2-weighted SE MRI.

Past, present, and future of cervical arthroplasty.

Cervical arthroplasty was developed in an attempt to maintain cervical motion and potentially to avoid or minimize adjacent-segment degeneration. If cervical arthroplasty is successful, the long-term results of surgery for cervical disc disease should improve. However, problems associated with cervical arthroplasty have been reported: these include kyphosis, heterotopic ossification-induced motion limitation, no motion preservation even at the index level, and a higher revision rate in a limited number of cases compared with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). In addition, for degenerative cervical disc disorders, the risk of developing adjacent segment degeneration more than 2 years after surgery is reportedly similar for ACDF and cervical arthroplasty. Cervical disc arthroplasty is an emerging motion-sparing technology and is currently undergoing evaluation in many countries as an alternative to arthrodesis for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy. The decision whether to use arthrodesis or arthroplasty is a difficult one. The achievement of good prosthetic performance demands exacting implantation techniques to ensure correct placement. This fact underlines the increasing importance of special instrumentation and surgical skills that involve an understanding of prosthetic lubrication, wear, and biologic effects and familiarity with currently available information regarding kinematics, basic science, testing, and early clinical results. Fortunately, a number of devices are at the late preclinical study stage or at the early clinical trial stage, and results in many cases are promising. In the near future, it is likely that new designs will be produced to replace spinal discs totally or partially in a pathologic entity-specific manner.