Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Fig 1.
Color image of a T2 relaxation time map. The color scale ranges from 25 to 146 ms. The image shows 5 lumbar disks. A grade II disk is illustrated at L1–2; grade III, at L3–4 and L4–5; grade IV, at L2–3; and grade V, at L5–S1. Areas with T2 relaxation times that are off the scale are black, for example, as shown by the CSF in the central spinal canal. The color scale shows relaxation times from 25 ms (red end of scale) to 146 ms (blue end of scale).
- Fig 2.
Region-of-interest placement for the whole disk (A and D), nucleus pulposus region (B and E), and annulus fibrosus (C and F) for a Pfirrmann grade II disk (A–C) and a Pfirrmann grade IV disk (D–F).
- Fig 3.
T2-weighted images illustrating 4 Pfirrmann disk grades. Midsagittal images show a grade II disk (A) with high signal intensity in the central region and lower signal intensity in the peripheral region, clearly distinguishing the nucleus pulposus region from the annulus fibrosus; a grade III disk (B) with lower signal intensity in the central region and less clear distinction between the nucleus pulposus region and annulus; a grade IV disk (C) with homogeneously low signal intensity and with no distinction of the nucleus pulposus region and annulus; and a grade V disk (D), which is collapsed.
- Fig 4.
T2-weighted image of a disk initially interpreted by 1 reader as Pfirrmann grade III and by the other reader as grade IV. By consensus, it was classified as grade IV.
- Fig 5.
Mean T2 relaxation times versus Pfirrmann grade for whole disks (A) and the nucleus pulposus region (B). The means (±SDs) for all disks of each grade are illustrated. The vertical bars represent the SD from the mean.
- Fig 6.
Mean T2 relaxation times for the nucleus pulposus region of Pfirrmann grade II disks for each decade of life. Mean T2 relaxation times are calculated as the averages for those in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The vertical bars represent the SD from the mean.
Tables
Demographic, clinical, and L1–2 through L5–S1 imaging data for the 20 patients
Patient No. Age (yr) Sex Clinical Indication for Imaging Imaging Findings 1 54 M Low back pain, leg pain L4–5 stenosis 2 69 F Degenerative spondylolisthesis L4/L5 3 64 F Severe leg pain L5–S1 herniated disk 4 45 F Low back pain L3–4 disk collapse 5 51 F Low back pain L5–S1 spondylolisthesis and disk bulge 6 34 M Back pain L5–S1 herniated disk, sacral metastasis from male breast cancer 7 60 M Low back pain 3-Level disk degeneration 8 21 F Sciatica Normal MRI findings 9 30 F Low back pain 2-Level disk degeneration 10 36 M Low back pain Postop L4–5 laminectomy, small L5–S1 protrusion 11 44 F Low back pain Facet joint disease 2 levels 12 35 M Low back pain, saddle paresthesias L3–4 herniated disk, L4–5 microdiskectomy, L5–S1 high-intensity zone 13 49 F Right buttock pain Postop L3–4 and L4–5 laminectomy 14 27 F Low back pain L5–S1 disk degeneration 15 69 M Low back pain Hematoma at L2, bulging disks at L2–3 and L3–4 16 65 F Low back pain Postop L4–5 laminectomy, bulging annulus, 5 levels 17a 36 F Low back pain Normal MRI findings 18 40 F Low back pain Breast metastasis S1 19 65 M Low back pain Facet degeneration, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis at L4–5, disk degeneration at L5–S1 20 62 M Paresthesias Mildly degenerated disks L3–4, L4–5 -
a Patient No. 17 was excluded due to motion artifacts.
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