Quantitative T2 evaluation at 1.5 T in the evaluation of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration
WEN Qun
MENG Fan-hua
QIAN Ting
WEI Chun-xiao
LIU Jun
XIAO Jing
LIN Xiang-ming
Abstract：Objective To assess the value of MRI T2 relaxation times to evaluate the lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration ( IVDD ).Methods Fifty patients ( 24 males, 26 females, 248 discs ) with the mean age of ( 42 ± 15 ) years ( range: 18 - 78 years ) with low back pain were prospectively enclosed between October 2013 and May 2015. All patients were examined by MRI at 1.5 T ( sagittal T1WI, T2WI, axial T2WI, multi-echo spin echo for T2 mapping ). All discs were classiifed on the basis of Pifrrmann grading system into 5 stages of disc degeneration. T2 value of all nucleus pulposus ( NP ), anterior and posterior annulus ifbrosus ( AF ) were measured and their variances in different grades were analyzed with one-way ANOVA test. Correlations between T2 value and age, grades, age and grades were analyzed with Pearson correlation test.Results ( 1 ) T2 value of NP decreased while the IVDD grade increased; ( 2 ) T2 value of anterior AF showed no obvious changes with the increasing of IVDD grade; ( 3 ) T2 value of posterior AF decreased with the increasing of IVDD grade; ( 4 ) Linear regression analysis between T2 value of NP and grades revealed signiifcant negative verse correlation (P < 0.01 ).Conclusions T2 value supports the feasibility of quantitatively assessing lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration. T2 mapping provides image reference for the early diagnosis of disc degeneration.
Keywords：Lumbar vertebraeIntervertebral disc degenerationMagnetic resonance imagingAnnulus ifbrosusNucleus pulposus
Publication Date：2016-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 582-587 )