Motivation: Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of disability, driven by changes in the biochemical components of the disc. Goal(s): This study aims to investigate the compositional changes associated with disc degeneration using quantitative UTE imaging in punctured rabbit spinal discs. Approach: Quantitative UTE measurements of T1, MTR, adiabT1rho, and T2 were performed to assess changes in water and proteoglycan content in punctured rabbit spinal discs. Results: Significant changes in all UTE imaging biomarkers were observed between control and punctured discs, demonstrating the high sensitivity of UTE techniques in detecting compositional alterations in disc associated with degeneration. Impact: The proposed quantitative UTE imaging techniques enable comprehensive assessment of the IVD degeneration and may improve understanding of the mechanism of low back pain.
Athertya et al. (Tue,) studied this question.