An article, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, predicts additional technical developments will allow MRI to provide even more useful benefits.

"The possibilities of magnetic resonance have not yet been realized. It is a rapidly evolving field. When we need tools to identify a possible herniated disk, the simplest type of imaging can be used successfully," co-author Dr. Victor Haughton of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics says in a statement. "However, if you want to find out which disk is causing pain, which nerve is firing, which metabolites are present in abnormal amounts, or how well the spinal elements are functioning, MRI will provide the answers."

MRI scans, produced by stimulating the protons in tissues and liquids -- such as fat, muscle, spinal cord and fluid in the spine -- using radio-frequency waves in the presence of a magnetic field, pose no radiation risk to the patient. For patients with pacemakers, nerve stimulators, or with claustrophobia, computed tomography can provide structural information, researchers say.