ABSTRACT
PurposeTo investigate the feasibility and clinical value of 3.0T MRI iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) technique in imaging normal lumbosacral nerve roots.Materials and Methods Twenty-five healthy volunteers and 15 patients with lumbosacral pain were examined on MR scanner using IDEAL sequence thin-layer coronal scanning and reconstruction technique. The evaluation of bilateral lumbosacral nerve roots from L1 to S1 included the detection rate of lumbosacral nerve roots, the length of preganglionic nerve, the width and length of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and the length of nerve root sheath.Results The anatomic structure and the contour of spinal nerve roots were well demonstrated on IDEAL sequence imaging, with 100% detection rate for preganglionic nerve and DRGs of nerves from L1 to S1 level, as well as the structures posterior to the ganglions from L3 to S1 level. The structures posterior to the ganglions at L1 to L2 level were shown as grade I in 12% and 42%, grade II in 16% and 32%, grade III in 72% and 26%. The length of preganglionic nerve, DRGs and nerve root sheath from L1 to S1 were gradually increased (P<0.05 orP<0.001). Normal lumbosacral nerve roots appeared as isointense linear structure in the nerve canals.ConclusionIDEAL sequence can depict the anatomic structure of the lumbosacral nerve roots and provide reference standards for lumbosacral nerve roots compression.