Sodium MRI of the Lumbar Intervertebral Discs of the Human Spine: An Ex Vivo Study.

Background: Lower back pain affects 75%-85% of people at some point in their lives. The detection of biochemical changes with sodium (Na) MRI has potential to enable an earlier and more accurate diagnosis.

Purpose: To measure Na relaxation times and apparent tissue sodium concentration (aTSC) in ex-vivo intervertebral discs (IVDs), and to investigate the relationship between aTSC and histological Thompson grade.