For the first time the involvement of both the vertebra and the soft tissue of the spine, in patients with chronic back pain, can be examined from a single medical imaging exam.
Utrecht, September 3rd, 2021 – MRIguidance has extended its CE certificate of BoneMRI for usage in the lower back. BoneMRI can now be used for patients with chronic lower back pain, a condition often caused by nerve compression. The radiation free solution to visualise the potential involvement of both the bone and the soft tissues on this compression will aid doctors with diagnosis and treatment planning.
Lower back pain
There are no conditions worldwide that cause more disability than lower back pain. It is estimated that 50-80% of the adult population in Europe and the U.S. will get lower back pain at some stage in their lives. When the back pain becomes chronic, an MRI exam often is used to examine the cause and plan the treatment. Next to nerve tissue, intervertebral discs and muscles, BoneMRI adds crucial information on the osseous structures to an MRI exam, providing a complete overview of anatomically complex spine.
Clinical study
BoneMRI for the lumbar spine has been clinically validated in a patient study with the University Hospital Ghent, Belgium. The results will soon be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Now this application of BoneMRI has become available for use in Europe, University Hospital Ghent and other hospitals in Belgium will be the first to use it in patients in their clinical workflow.
Total spine
“Clinical validation of the BoneMRI technology in the spine and obtaining the CE certificate is an important step for MRIguidance.”, says Peter Seevinck, CSO of MRIguidance. “This will help us in our goal to aid patients worldwide with our new imaging solution. This is a major achievement on our way to make BoneMRI available for the total spine, first in adults and then also for radiation free imaging of the spine of children.” Besides Europe, MRIguidance is also working on regulatory market approval in the U.S.