Objective To investigate MR findings of acute thigh muscle strains in male football athletes.Methods Twenty five thighs of 21 football athletes with acute muscle strains were analyzed retrospectively.All subjects were examined with MR unit.The anatomical location,size,severity,signal features of the acute strained muscles were analyzed by two experienced radiologists based on MR images.Results There were 32 muscles involved totally,including 1 9 hamstring muscles,5 adductor muscles,7 quadriceps femoris,and 1 sartorius muscle.18 muscles were MR grade 1 injuries,14 of grade 2,and these was no grade 3 injuries.Conclusion Thigh muscle injury of football athletes most frequently involved the hamstring muscle,and MR is an effective tool for detecting acute muscle strains of the thigh.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the changes of fat and microcirculation in vertebral marrow and the intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all 82 patients were recruited, while 246 lumbar intervertebral disc (L2/3-L4/5) were studied. Each disc was assessed by using Pfirrmann grades. The chemical shift imaging (CSI) was performed to calculate the signal intensity ratio (SIR) of the corresponding upper and under vertebral marrow. And intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging was performed to obtain the IVIM parameters of slow apparent diffusion coefficient (Dslow), fast apparent diffusion coefficient (Dfast) and perfusion fraction (f). At the same time, b values of 0, 600 s/mm2 were used to obtain the ADC value of each disc. The ADC values of disc, the SIR values and IVIM parameters of the upper and under vertebral marrow between the different segments and different Pfirrmann grading groups were compared using one-way ANOVA or non-parametric test. The correlation of the Pfirrmann grading and ADC value of disc with the parameters of the vertebral marrow were analyzed, respectively. Results Only the f value of the upper and under vertebral marrow showed significant difference between the different segments groups of L2/3 to L4/5 discs (F=5.351 and 8.482, both P<0.05). The ADC values of discs, the SIR value of the upper vertebral marrow and the Dslow value of the under vertebral marrow had significant difference between the different Pfirrmann grading groups (all P<0.05). The Pfirrmann grading was negatively correlated with the disc ADC values (r=-0.651, P<0.01), and was mildly and positively correlated with the SIR values of the upper and under vertebral marrow (r=0.238 and 0.266, both P<0.01). The disc ADC values had a slightly negative correlation with the SIR value of the upper and under vertebral marrow(r=-0.230 and-0.247, both P<0.01). Conclusions The changes of the SIR value and all IVIM parameters of the vertebral bone marrow were not very obvious with the increasing of the grading of the intervertebral disc degeneration, which may be not an effective supplement for the grading of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the changes of fat and microcirculation in vertebral marrow and the intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all 82 patients were recruited, while 246 lumbar intervertebral disc (L2/3-L4/5) were studied. Each disc was assessed by using Pfirrmann grades. The chemical shift imaging (CSI) was performed to calculate the signal intensity ratio (SIR) of the corresponding upper and under vertebral marrow. And intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging was performed to obtain the IVIM parameters of slow apparent diffusion coefficient (Dslow), fast apparent diffusion coefficient (Dfast) and perfusion fraction (f). At the same time, b values of 0, 600 s/mm2 were used to obtain the ADC value of each disc. The ADC values of disc, the SIR values and IVIM parameters of the upper and under vertebral marrow between the different segments and different Pfirrmann grading groups were compared using one-way ANOVA or non-parametric test. The correlation of the Pfirrmann grading and ADC value of disc with the parameters of the vertebral marrow were analyzed, respectively. Results Only the f value of the upper and under vertebral marrow showed significant difference between the different segments groups of L2/3 to L4/5 discs (F=5.351 and 8.482, both P<0.05). The ADC values of discs, the SIR value of the upper vertebral marrow and the Dslow value of the under vertebral marrow had significant difference between the different Pfirrmann grading groups (all P<0.05). The Pfirrmann grading was negatively correlated with the disc ADC values (r=-0.651, P<0.01), and was mildly and positively correlated with the SIR values of the upper and under vertebral marrow (r=0.238 and 0.266, both P<0.01). The disc ADC values had a slightly negative correlation with the SIR value of the upper and under vertebral marrow(r=-0.230 and-0.247, both P<0.01). Conclusions The changes of the SIR value and all IVIM parameters of the vertebral bone marrow were not very obvious with the increasing of the grading of the intervertebral disc degeneration, which may be not an effective supplement for the grading of intervertebral disc degeneration.