University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Health Sciences Learning Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010 Aug;31(7):1278-82. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A2080. Epub 2010 Apr 1.
T2 relaxation times provide a continuous measure of changes in intervertebral disk biochemistry. The purpose of this study was to correlate T2 relaxation times in lumbar disks with patient age and stage of degeneration.
Sagittal T1- and T2-weighted images and axial images were acquired in 20 patients referred for MR imaging for back pain or radiculopathy. Two readers inspected these images and assigned a Pfirrmann grade to each disk. An additional sagittal multiecho FSE image sequence was obtained, and T2 relaxation times were calculated for a each lumbar disk. T2 relaxation times were correlated with Pfirrmann grade. T2 relaxation times in nondegenerated disks were correlated with patient age. Statistical significance was tested by ANOVA, ad hoc tests, and Pearson coefficients.
T2 relaxation times were calculated for 95 lumbar disks in 19 patients and discarded for 5 disks in 1 patient due to motion artifacts. Forty-four disks were classified as Pfirrmann grade II; 34, as grade III; 14, as grade IV; and 3, as grade V. Mean T2 relaxation times of the central region decreased from 108 ms for grade II to 53 ms for grade IV disks. T2 relaxation times correlated significantly with Pfirrmann grade. For grade II disks, T2 relaxation times of the central region decreased significantly from an average of 132 ms for patients in their 20s to 86 ms for those in their 60s.
T2 relaxation times in lumbar disks correlate with stage of degeneration and patient age.
T2 弛豫时间为椎间盘生物化学变化提供了连续的测量方法。本研究的目的是分析腰椎间盘 T2 弛豫时间与患者年龄和退变阶段之间的相关性。
20 例因腰痛或神经根病行磁共振成像（MRI）检查的患者，采集其矢状位 T1 加权和 T2 加权图像以及轴位图像。两名阅片者分析这些图像，并为每个椎间盘分配 Pfirrmann 分级。另外还采集了矢状位多回波 FSE 图像序列，计算每个腰椎间盘的 T2 弛豫时间。分析 T2 弛豫时间与 Pfirrmann 分级之间的相关性。分析无退变椎间盘的 T2 弛豫时间与患者年龄之间的相关性。采用方差分析、特定检验和 Pearson 系数进行统计学检验。
19 例患者的 95 个腰椎间盘计算出了 T2 弛豫时间，1 例患者的 5 个椎间盘因运动伪影而被排除。44 个椎间盘为 Pfirrmann 分级 II 级；34 个，为 III 级；14 个，为 IV 级；3 个，为 V 级。中央区域 T2 弛豫时间平均值从 II 级的 108ms 降至 IV 级的 53ms。T2 弛豫时间与 Pfirrmann 分级显著相关。对于 II 级椎间盘，20 多岁患者的中央区域 T2 弛豫时间平均值从 132ms 显著降至 60 多岁患者的 86ms。
腰椎间盘 T2 弛豫时间与退变阶段和患者年龄相关。
