Aims and objectives
Preliminary study to determine the feasibility to perform real-time MRI and Ultrasound fusion imaging of leg muscles.
Tests were carried out by first acquiring leg muscle images while subject was lying supine and then standing using an Esaote MRI GScan Brio system.
GScan Brio (Fig.
1) is a tilting MRI system equipped with a permanent magnetic unit (0.25T) that is able to rotate magnet and patient’s bed from 0 to 90 degrees while scanning muscles in conventional (supine) and weight-bearing (standing) positions [1,
2].
This...
Methods and materials
Three (3) normal subjects were studied (ages 36,
39,
41; 1 female,
2 males).
All of the subjects could stand firmly for an average of 15 minutes during the acquisition of the weight bearing MRI images (the same time frame was required for the acquisition of supine MRI images).
A total of around 35 minutes,
including patient positioning,
was required for the full supine plus standing image acquisitions.
Twenty minutes were needed also for the fusion imaging session (with an extra 3 minutes required to...
Results
MRI image acquisitions:
Dedicated pads were placed over and under the leg (Fig.
4) of the subject being examined to ensure a stable positioning and that the anatomical structures were within FoV magnet's range during weight bearing image acquisitions.
The use of pads did not affect leg muscular shape or produce any major leg shape deformation which would have entailed an MRI-US fusion imaging registration error.
Pads were required also for supine image acquisitions in order to assure,
as much as possible,
that the same...
Conclusion
Fusing MRI with real-time Ultrasound was always successful achieved with the three subjects and always led to a 5 to 2 mm registration error also on first attempt.
The highest spatial resolution algorithm worked properly by automatically switching between the two acquired MRI scans.
The highest spatial resolution was always selected based on the Ultrasound acquisition plane spatial position.
Real-time fusion imaging between MRI and Ultrasound can be successfully achieved when examined subject is both is supine/relaxed and in weight bearing/standing positions.
This method may...
Personal information
Marinella Marinoni,
Neurology Dept.,
Careggi University Hospital,
Firenze,
Italy,
[email protected]
References
[1] “Weight-Bearing MR Imaging as an Option in the Study of Gravitational Effects on the Vocal Tract of Untrained Subjects in Singing Phonation”, Traser L,
Burdumy M,
Richter B,
Vicari M,
Echternach M; PLoS ONE 2014 - 9(11): e112405.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112405.
[2] “Assessment of the level of muscular strength and volume in physically active English adults”,
Román M.,
Del Campo V.,
Martín J.,
Romero A.; JOURNAL OF HUMAN SPORT AND EXERCISE - University of Alicante,
North America,
7,
mar.
2012.
Available at: http://www.jhse.ua.es/jhse/article/view/204/503.
[3] “Assessment of...