Lumbar Spine MRI

Native 3T MRI of the lumbosacral spine covering L1–S1 discs, nerve roots, spinal canal, and facet joints. Most requested spinal examination for lower back pain and sciatica.

The lumbosacral spine MRI at Private Access Wien uses the 3 Tesla Siemens MAGNETOM Verio to image the lumbar vertebrae, intervertebral discs, spinal canal, and neural foramina from L1 to the sacrum with high spatial and contrast resolution. The 70-centimetre wide-bore opening means the feet-first entry position for lumbar scanning feels open and non-restrictive for most patients. The protocol includes sagittal T1, T2, and STIR sequences alongside axial T2-weighted images through each disc level. The STIR sequence is sensitive to bone marrow oedema — an indicator of acute vertebral compression fractures, infective spondylodiscitis, and inflammatory spondyloarthropathy such as ankylosing spondylitis. The radiologist documents disc morphology and any herniation at every level, grades central canal and foraminal stenosis, and notes facet joint arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. At 3T the enhanced signal-to-noise ratio resolves the fine distinction between disc material and adjacent neural structures, which is essential for surgical planning. Diffusion-weighted imaging can be added for patients where metastatic spinal cord compression is a concern. Lumbar spine MRI is suitable for lower back pain lasting more than six weeks, acute sciatica with neurological deficit, suspected disc herniation, pre-operative assessment before microdiscectomy or spinal fusion, and monitoring of known inflammatory spinal disease.