A short heart to heart discussion
MR images are so detailed that we can take a pencil and clearly outline the various types of tissues in our body.
MR is super-good at imaging soft tissues
Soft tissues in our body are made up of a large proportion (about 70-90%) of water. When you sustain an injury or when an organ is diseased, the properties and amount of water in the tissue can change dramatically. This makes MRI an excellent imaging tool because it is based upon the sensitivity towards alteration in water properties in the region or organ of interest.
Tuning the black, white and shades of gray
Different tissues have different brightness on MR images. It is this image contrast that allow us to differentiate which tissue is which, including abnormal tissues. For example, in the brain, stroke is bright and normal brain tissue is gray. In the knee, a tear in the meniscus, which is the knee’s cushion, is bright and normal meniscus is black.
In reality however, it is not that straightforward as to roses are red and violets are blue because there are other variables to navigate through. But you get the idea.
