Fig. 5

Planning (a), monitoring (b-c) and assessment (d-e) of the HIFU ablation of the right SIJ in experiment 2. A. Planning of individual sonications is shown as overlay of the axial MR planning images and the approximate HIFU beam path (blue) and focus (rectangle). MR thermometry measurements (b) and the resulting thermal dose maps (c) obtained during the sonications planned as shown in A. Ablation zone produced during the treatment as visualized on contrast-enhanced MR image obtained immediately following the treatment (d) and on gross pathology (e). The contours of ablation zone (white arrows) are consistent with the region of perfusion loss seen on MRI and thermal dose map. Dashed line shows the muscle bone interface, the location of the nerves are marked in magenta based on the corresponding histology slides. Arrowheads point to the tip of the sacral ligament