Subminute Fat-Water-Separated Dual-Echo Automated Spine Survey Iterative Scan Technique

A 13-year-old girl with back pain. A, Color-encoded autolabeled midline sagittal ASSIST DE and corresponding coronal image. B, Color-encoded lower station sagittal ASSIST DE and corresponding 2D T2 FSE IDEAL sagittal and axial oblique images, the latter obtained for confirmation and further elucidation. Sagittal ASSIST DE demonstrates a normal cervical and thoracic spine with premature lumbar degenerative disk disease at L2–3 through L4–5 with mild protrusions at L2–3, L3–4, and L5–S1 and a prominent central disk herniation at L4–5. T2-FSE IDEAL images were confirmatory and further elucidate the mild central protrusion L3-4 and moderate central extrusion L4-5.

Vertebral fat content and curvature as a function of age is demonstrated on midline sagittal ASSIST DE color-encoded apparent-fat signal-intensity percentage maps. The ages of the 5 female subjects (from left to right) are 13, 29, 51, 61, and 78 years. Note that as age increases, both kypholordosis and fatty marrow content tend to increase, the latter with a distal-to-proximal gradient. Note that the trend is not absolute because the 51-year-old woman appears to have a higher vertebral fat content than the 61-year-old woman. Additionally, percentage of fatty marrow appears relatively independent of subcutaneous fat because the youngest subject exhibits the highest subcutaneous fat volume but the lowest percentage of fatty marrow (mostly blue).