Digital assessment of mri for lumbar disc desiccation

During magnetic resonance imaging, e vesi amount of digital data or anatomic structures is transited into Images, which are then assessed subjectively. Tha development of an abjective, sensitive method to directly assess the digital data would have clear benefits, par tiruiarly for clinical research on disc degeneration. The study goals were to develop a method üf digital as¬sessment of disc desiccation and to compare digital signal irtansity profiles with discographie patterns and macr03naiomlc findings. Proton density-weighted MBls were obtained from 45 males (9-77 years) and dlg:lal analysis was done with a freely selectable region of interest facility, The adjaeen: cerebrospinal fluid (CSFI was used as a reference for disc signel-intensily stores, and the disc to CSF^intensIty ratio provided "adjusted digital scorns." The CSF-adjustBd digital method yielded reproducible scores that correlated with the subjective assessments. However, the CS F-ad justed digital scores were more sensitive than the subjective assessments, dentlfying findings that otherwise were undetected in younger subjects, AdditiûnaÜy, 10 cadav* arie spines ware avalúa tea using MRI with T2 and proton densityweighted sequences, discography, and macroanatomic dissection. MRI disc-intensity profiles ware determined along a midsagittal line drawn through the disc. The profile of the digital scores along this line was then compared with discogrems and maeroanatomic sections. In all cases of disc degeneration on discograms, changes were present in the Intensity profile. Basad on both tha living subjects and the ca¬daveric specimens, the digital assessments and disc intensity profiles appear to demónstrate disc degeneration, part.cut&rly in oarly stages.