Potential of phase-based electrical conductivity in evaluating lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration

Motivation: Visual assessment of T2-weighted image constitutes the mainstay in evaluating the severity of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVD) degeneration. Quantitative MRI indices that strongly correlate with the degree of degeneration are lacking. Goal(s): This study aimed to evaluate if electrical conductivity (σ) derived from phase-based EPT was sensitive to the degenerative changes of lumbar IVD. Approach: EPT was conducted, along with DWI, T1ρ, and T2* imaging, in 54 patients with lumbar IVD degeneration. The diagnostic performance of σ was compared with that of ADC, T1rho, and T2*. Results: σ can compliment the other quantitative MRI indices in evaluating lumbar IVD degeneration. Impact: This is the first study which evaluated the potential clinical usefulness of σ derived from phase-based EPT in evaluating the severity of degeneration of lumbar IVD.