Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Fig 1.
Images of successive echoes in the FSE echo train of an L4/5 disk classified as stage II. The images progress from the first echo on the upper left to the ninth echo in the lower right.
- Fig 2.
3D contour plot of the disk shown in Fig 1. The anterior portion of the disk is to the reader’s left and superior portion toward the top of the page. The inclination of the disk in the 3D plot is due to the angulation of the intervertebral disk from the axial plane. Notice the intranuclear cleft is clearly distinguished from the more amorphous regions of the nucleus pulposus because of its lower T2 values.
- Fig 3.
Sagittal MR image (ninth echo; A) and contour plot (B) of the L5/S1 disk in volunteer 3. This volunteer had a less-conspicuous intranuclear cleft at L5-S1.
- Fig 4.
Sagittal MR image (9th echo; A) and contour plot (B) of an L4–5 stage III intervertebral disk. The intranuclear cleft region is not distinguished in the image or the plot.
- Fig 5.
Rank plot of T2 values in a volunteer with 5 stage II disks. The T2 values are plotted in order of increasing value. Note that the plots for each level tend to coincide.
- Fig 6.
Rank plots of T2 values of disks in volunteer 3, who had a less-conspicuous intranuclear cleft at L5/S1. The rank plots show greater discrepancies than they did in the other 2 volunteers.
- Fig 7.
Rank plot of T2 values in a volunteer with stage II disks at L1–2 and L2–3 and stage III disks at L3–4, L4–5, and L5-S1. The stage II disks are clustered together, but the stage III disks are not.
Tables
Areas, means, percentiles, and slopes and intercepts for trendlines in a rank plot for T2 values in stage II and III disks in 5 volunteers
Parameter Disk Stage P value* II III,V No. of disks 20 5 Area (pixels) 161 65 Mean T2 (ms) 84 53 .0025 SD of T2 (ms) 22 8 .014 10th percentile (ms) 55 43 2.5E-05 5th percentile (ms) 66 47 .00026 50th percentile (ms) 85 52 .0032 75th percentile (ms) 103 57 .0035 90th percentile (ms) 114 63 .0041 99th percentile (ms) 131 73 .0033 Slope of ranked T2 values −0.48 −0.44 .76 Intercept of ranked T2 values 123 66 .0055 * Differences in stage II and III disks.
