Figure 1. Normal spine in a 33-year-old volunteer. Sagittal fat and long T2 suppressed ultrashort echo time (FLUTE) (repetition time/echo time=500/0.08 ms) image. The lumbar and lower thoracic discs have a faint high signal in the region of the annulus fibrosus and low signal in the nucleus pulposus. (High signal is seen posteriorly in the lower thoracic/upper lumbar region and in the sacral region adjacent to the spine coil. Artefacts associated with the small useful field of view are seen in the pelvic region and superiorly).