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Morphometric comparison of computed tomography to magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of the lumbar intervertebral foramina
Author(s) -
Cramer Gregory D.,
Howe Joseph,
Glenn William V.,
Greenstein Jay,
Potvin William
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.980070402
Subject(s) - medicine , sagittal plane , imaging phantom , magnetic resonance imaging , calipers , cadaveric spasm , lumbar , tomography , scanner , nuclear medicine , biomedical engineering , radiology , anatomy , computer science , artificial intelligence , physics , optics
The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the ability of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as techniques to determine linear morphometric measurements of several parameters of the right and left lumbar intervertebral foramina (IVFs). Specifically, the greatest superior‐to‐inferior diameter and anterior‐to‐posterior diameter of the lumbar IVFs were measured in a cadaveric imaging phantom. The phantom was first measured directly with vernier calipers and then embedded in gelatin to simulate soft tissue. It was then scanned with two types of protocols each for CT and MRI. The scanned images were transferred directly from the imaging units to optical disks, which were then read using an optical disk drive. The measurements taken directly from the phantom were then taken from the scans using a Macintosh II computer interfaced with the optical disk drive. The results showed that both sagittally reformatted CT images and sagittal MRI images were clinically and statistically reliable and valid methods for linear evaluation of the IVF in the sagittal plane. However, measurements made from the MRI scans were found to be more accurate than those made from the CT scans. The results of this study should help increase understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both imaging modalities in the sagittal evaluation of the lumbar IVFs. The results may also help with the future evaluation of the IVF in the condition known as nerve root canal stenosis. This study also indicates that a normal morphometric database from the MRI scans of normal human subjects should be developed. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.