Lumbar MRI Part 1: Normal imaging appearance of the lumbar spine

This article provides a brief overview of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine for the clinician. A basic review of MRI lumbar protocols is followed by a discussion of the most common imaging sequences. The appearance of normal lumbar anatomy is reviewed with emphasis on structures prone to injury. This is correlated to annotated images. Imaging of lumbar spine pathology and trauma is discussed in part II of the article.