The Application In Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Of Young Volunteers With Magnetic Resonance T₂^* Map

Objective:To measure the magnetic resonance (MR) T2* relaxation times at the nucleus pulposuses of lumbar intervertebral discs pertaining to young volunteers, and to approach the feasibility of the application in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration by using MR T2*Map.Material and Methods:40 young volunteers were subjects from Sep 2007 to Sep 2009, including 19 men and 21 women. The age ranged 18-30 with average of 24.28 years. All cases had no history of lumbago and lumbar operation or injury. Magnetic resonance T2WI and T2*Map examination of the lumbar spine disc were performed in the L1-S1 region of the 40 volunteers by using 1.5T GE Signa MR scanner. T2*Map imaging was post processed through the Functool software in GE-ADW 4.2 workstation. T2* values at the five regions of interest (ROI) had been placed in the nucleus pulposuses of each lumbar intervertebral disc from L1/2 to L5/S1 and that were measured and calculated. Finally the differences were statistically analyzed with one-way ANOVA by using SPSS 16.0 software.Results:1. There were significant statistical differences among the T2* values at the various ROI in the same lumbar intervertebral disc (P<0.05).2. The T2* values at the corresponding ROI in the defferent anatomic site have contrast difference (P<0.05).3. The T2* values that at the posterior surface ROI in L1/2 and L2/3 were obviously increased (P<0.05); the changes of the T2* values at the middle of nucleus pulposus in L4/5 and L5/S1 could the most obviously further step up (P<0.05).4. The T2* values of the various ROI that were at the corresponding ROI in the defferent intervertebral disc level were regularly increased by degrees followed the anatomic site stepping down(P<0.05).Conclusions:1. The transmutation of the water content and PG in the prophase degenerative intervertebral disc might be imaged by the T2* values of the nucleus pulposus.2. In my research, the T2* values that been measured and the image of changes at biochemistry component in the nucleus pulposus were conformity with the pertinent literature.3. The T2* values maybe objectively reflect the feature of the degeneration pertaining to the nucleus pulposus of intervertebral disc, and impersonated correlation that of the T2* values with the anatomic site and the stress force direction.4. T2*map imaging has the better sensitivity to the early diagnosis of the degenerative intervertebral, it might perform the prospective and quantitative evaluation to the prophase degenerative intervertebral and the injuries should happen in further. T2*map is the effective means that was used for the research to the degenerative intervertebral what is happen, early diagnosis, quantitative evaluation and therapeutic effect, therefore, T2*map imaging has the proactive clinic meaning to the prevention and therapeutics of degenerative intervertebral.