Comparison of Intervertebral Disc Displacements Measured Under Applied Loading With MRI at 3.0T and 9.4T

The noninvasive measurement of displacements under applied loading with magnetic resonance imaging (dualMRI) can be implemented on both clinical and high-field research MRI systems. dualMRI synchronizes cyclic loading applied by an MRI-compatible loading device with displacement-encoded MRI [1]. Numerous factors influence the MRI-based measurement of deformation (e.g. displacements and strain) in biomaterials and tissues, including the magnitude and frequency of cyclic loading, the geometry and configuration of the physical environment, and inherent material properties, which are often heterogeneous [2–4].