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The Lumbar Spine (lower back) is the most commonly performed Musculoskeletal MRI procedure performed at Bayside Standing MRI.
Sequence Views
Different views are commonly used in Lumbar MRI scans to provide images showing different details of the anatomy of the lumbar spine.
The sagittal view is the view from the side of the body.
The axial view is the view from above or below.
The coronal view is the view of the body from the front or back.
Different Image Types
Different image types are used to highlight different elements within the body.
T1 weighted images can be identified as ‘fat based images’, as they emphasise body fat in tissues. They are also used to highlight anatomical detail.
In Lumbar Spine studies, T1 weighted images are typically performed in sagittal and axial views.
T2 Weighted images can be identified as ‘water based images’. These are used to emphasise water in tissues such as inflammation which is common in many pathology and injury processes.
In Lumbar Spine Studies, T2 weighted images are typically performed in sagittal and axial views.
STIR images are generally used to highlight water in the body to aid in identifying inflammation, bruising and fractures. These images are not used to highlight anatomical detail.
In Lumbar Spine studies the STIR sequence is typically performed in a coronal view.
