Characterization of trabecular bone by dipolar demagnetizing field MRI.
A multiple spin-echo (MSE) sequence has been applied for the first time to study trabecular bone ex vivo. The second echo generated by the demagnetizing field presents discrete drops in signal intensity for certain values of the pitch of the magnetization helix created by the correlation gradient. These dips may reflect characteristic pore sizes in the trabecular bone specimens. This hypothesis is supported by similar experiments performed on a phantom with uniform pore size distribution. Trabecular bone images weighted in the MSE contrast mechanism are reported.
Capuani
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Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia UdR Roma1 and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Curzi
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F
Alessandri
F M
FM
Maraviglia
B
B
Bifone
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A
D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002417:Cattle; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008280:Magnetics; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging