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Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2021; 25(03): 381-387
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731059
Review Article

3D MRI: Technical Considerations and Practical Integration

Filippo Del Grande 
1   Clinica di Radiologia EOC, Istituto di Imaging della Svizzera Italiana (IIMSI), Lugano, Svizzera
,
Natalie Hinterholzer
2   SCMI, Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging, Balgrist Campus AG, Zürich, Switzerland
,
Daniel Nanz
2   SCMI, Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging, Balgrist Campus AG, Zürich, Switzerland
3   University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Abstract

One of the main advantages of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the possibility of isotropic voxels and reconstructed planar cuts through the volumetric data set in any orientation with multiplanar reformation software through real-time evaluation. For example, reformats by the radiologist during reporting allows exploitation of the full potential of isotropic 3D volumetric acquisition or through standardized retrospective reformats of thicker predefined slices of an isotropic volumetric data set by technologists. The main challenges for integrating 3D fast spin echo (FSE) and turbo spin-echo (TSE) MRI in clinical practice are a long acquisition time and some artifacts, whereas for integrating 3D gradient-recalled echo protocols, the main challenges are lower signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and the inability to produce intermediate, and T2-weighted contrast. The implementation of bidirectional parallel imaging acquisition and random undersampling acceleration strategies of 3D TSE pulse sequences substantially shortens the examination time with only minor SNR reductions. This article provides an overview of general technical considerations of 3D FSE and TSE sequences in musculoskeletal MRI. It also describes how these sequences achieve efficient data acquisition and reviews the main advantages and challenges for their introduction to clinical practice.

Keywords

3D imaging - spin echo sequences - gradient-recalled echo sequences - musculoskeletal imaging

Financial Disclosure

Filippo Del Grande reports personal fees from speaking honorariums at Siemens and Bayer AG, and nonfinancial and other support from institutional reference center and research support at Siemens, outside the submitted work. Balgrist Campus AG, the employer of Natalie Hinterholzer and Daniel Nanz, has a master research agreement with Siemens Healthcare.




Publication History

Article published online:
21 September 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
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