CAJ | 학술논문

Objective The purpose of this study was to correlate T2 signal intensity values in nu-cleus pulposus of lumbar discs with patient age , gender and stage of nucleus pulposus degeneration .Methods Lumbar imaging findings of 422 cases subjects were retrospectively reviewed through T 2 signal in-tensity values of nucleus pulposus evaluated based on the signal intensity values of MR T 2-weighted mid-sag-ittal images of the lumbar spine,the t2 signal intensity values at all five lumbar levels (from L5-S1 to L1-L2)between male and female were used independent sample t-test and the Spearman correlation analysis.The age and grade of nucleus pulposus of disc degeneration and T 2 signal intensity values were estimated by calculat-ing and Chi-square test and the Spearman correlation analysis .The t-test was used to correlate the different anatomic levels of disc degeneration;T2 signal intensity values among the five different anatomic levels using non-parametric correlation analysis.Results There were significantly differences in T2 signal intensity val-ues of nucleus pulposus at the same grade and anatomic level between male and female .Advanced with age,T2 signal intensity values of nucleus pulposus decreased and stage of disc degeneration increased according -ly.T2 signal intensity values may represent the nucleus pulposus degeneration of interverterbral disc .L4-L5 was the highest incidence among the nucleus pulposus degeneration of intervertebral disc .Conclusions The T2 signal intensity values based approach may be a feasible and practical tool to determine nucleus pulposus degeneration.T2 signal intensity values of nucleus pulposus of lumbar intervertebral disc are correlated with grade of degeneration and patient age .