[Purpose] Determining the thickness of the intercostal muscle with ultrasound imaging would be a useful parameter in evaluating respiratory muscle activity in patients with tetraplegia and neuromuscular weakness. However, it has not been clarified whether ultrasound imaging can measure changes in intercostal muscle thickness during breathing. This study aimed to measure contractions of the human intercostal muscle in the anterior, lateral, and posterior parts with ultrasound imaging during maximal breathing. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 12 healthy males. Intercostal muscle thickness was measured using ultrasound at rest and at maximal breathing. The measurement sites were the anterior, lateral, and posterior portions of the right intercostal spaces. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired t-test comparing intercostal muscle thickness at rest and maximal breathing. [Results] The thickness of the intercostal muscle showed significant increases in the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth intercostal spaces of the anterior portions. There were no significant differences in the lateral or posterior portions between rest and maximal breathing. [Conclusion] Human intercostal muscle thickness can be measured with ultrasound and increases only in the anterior portions during maximal breathing.

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Background: During shoulder abduction and external rotation, internal impingement can occur when compressive forces between the greater tuberosity and the posterior glenoid rim pinch the undersurface of the rotator cuff. Previous studies on internal impingement have focused on qualitative results such as pathological findings; however, few studies have quantified the area of impingement (AOI) of the rotator cuff muscles between the greater tuberosity and the posterior glenoid rim. Purpose: To compare the AOI between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders of baseball players. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 14 asymptomatic male collegiate baseball players participated in this study. The AOI in both the throwing and the nonthrowing shoulders was calculated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The MRI measurements were collected with the shoulder at 90° of abduction and at 90° and 100° of external rotation. The area, width, and depth of impingement as well as cystic changes in the greater tuberosity and degeneration in the posterior labrum were compared between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders. Results: The AOI was significantly greater in the throwing shoulders than in the nonthrowing shoulders (90° of external rotation: 32.4 vs 19.1 mm2, respectively; 100° of external rotation, 28.0 vs 15.6 mm2, respectively; P < .001 for both). Compared with the nonthrowing shoulders, there were more positive findings in the throwing shoulders regarding greater tuberosity cystic changes (0 vs 7, respectively; P = .006) and posterior labral degeneration (3 vs 13, respectively; P < .001). Conclusion: The AOI and the number of lesions in the greater tuberosity and posterior labrum were greater in throwing shoulders than in nonthrowing shoulders. Therefore, damage to the insertion of the rotator cuff muscles may affect internal impingement. Clinical Relevance: Lesions in the greater tuberosity and posterior labrum in throwing shoulders may increase the AOI by expanding the joint gap behind the glenohumeral joint. Impingement of the greater tuberosity and the posterior glenoid rim may lead to rotator cuff tears.

The objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze differences in diaphragmatic motion between supine and prone positioning during resting breathing using dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Total diaphragmatic motion (TDM), defined as total excursion of the anterior (ANT), central (CNT), and posterior (PST) diaphragm, was 61 mm in the supine position and 63 mm in the prone position. No significant difference in TDM was apparent in response to change in positioning. Diaphragmatic motion was greatest in the PST > CNT > ANT with supine positioning, and PST > ANT ≈ CNT with prone positioning. In both positions, motion tended to be greatest in the posterior diaphragm. However, relative changes in CNT and PST were less with prone than with supine positioning. These findings suggest that ventilation in the posterior lung fields is decreased to a greater extent with prone than with supine positioning.

Purpose: Signal intensity and image contrast differ between postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) images and images acquired from the living body. We sought to achieve sufficient fat suppression with short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) PMMR imaging by optimizing inversion time (TI).Material and Methods: We subjected 37 deceased adult patients to PMMR imaging at 1.5 tesla 8 to 60 hours after confirmation of death and measured T 1 values of areas of subcutaneous fat with relaxation time maps. Rectal temperature (RT) measured immediately after PMMR ranged from 6 to 31°C. We used Pearson's correlation coefficient to analyze the relationship between T 1 and relaxation time (RT). We compared STIR images from 4 cadavers acquired with a TI commonly used in the living body and another TI calculated from the linear regression of T 1 and RT.Results: T 1 values of subcutaneous fat ranged from 89.4 to 182.2 ms. There was a strong, positive, and significant correlation between T 1 and RT (r = 0.91, P < 0.0001). The regression expression for the relationship was T 1 = 2.6*RT + 90 at a field strength of 1.5T. The subcutaneous fat signal was suppressed more effectively with the optimized TI.Conclusion: The T 1 value of subcutaneous fat in PMMR correlates linearly with body temperature. Using this correlation to determine TI, fat suppression with PMMR STIR imaging can be easily improved.

Purpose: To propose a simple and useful method for correcting nonuniformity of higheld (3 Tesla) T 1 -weighted spin-echo (SE) images based on a B1ˆeld map estimated from gradient recalled echo (GRE) signals.Methods: To estimate B1 inhomogeneity, spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) images were collected using aˆxed repetition time of 70 ms, ‰ip angles of 45 and 90 degrees, and echo times of 4.8 and 10.4 ms. Selection of ‰ip angles was based on the observation that the relative intensity changes in SPGR signals were very similar among diŠerent tissues at larger ‰ip angles than the Ernst angle. Accordingly, spatial irregularity that was observed on a signal ratio map of the SPGR images acquired with these 2 ‰ip angles was ascribed to inhomogeneity of the B1ˆeld. Dual echo time was used to eliminate T 2 * eŠects. The ratio map that was acquired was scaled to provide an intensity correction map for SE images. Both phantom and volunteer studies were performed using a 3T magnetic resonance scanner to validate the method.Results: In the phantom study, the uniformity of the T 1 -weighted SE image improved by 23z. Images of human heads also showed practically su‹cient improvement in the image uniformity.Conclusion: The present method improves the image uniformity of high-ˆeld T 1 -weighted SE images.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively analyze differences in normal diaphragmatic motions during spontaneous breathing (SB) and maximal deep breathing (MDB) using dynamic analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (dynamic MRI), to examine whether there is correlation between total diaphragmatic motion during MDB and BMI, vital capacity (VC), and chest expansion. Mean cephalocaudal distance in diaphragmatic motion was 14 mm in the ventral region, 20 mm in the central region, 27 mm in the dorsal region during SB, and 41 mm in the ventral region, 64-67 mm in the central region, and 74 mm in the dorsal region during MDB. No correlation was apparent between total diaphragmatic motion during MDB and BMI, VC, or chest expansion.

Use of a short-echo phase mask in SWI is useful for reducing artifacts.