title: MRI of the spine and spinal cord: imaging techniques, normal anatomy, artifacts, and pitfalls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to evaluate the spine and spinal cord.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this article, MRI of the spine is discussed in terms of normal anatomy, standard and advanced imaging techniques, general indications, limitations, and potential for the future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although MRI does not provide the high bony detail possible with computed tomography, the appropriate combination of the sequences takes advantage of the different tissue characteristics to discriminate the various bony-and soft-tissue structures of the spine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI enables the imaging specialist to evaluate a large anatomic region in multiple planes and can better examine the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Ullevâl Hospital, Oslo, Norway. cpierrejerome@netscape.net
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierre-Jerome
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bekkelund
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D002684:Chiropractic / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013131:Spine / Q000033:anatomy & histology*