Abstract
We shudied the correlation between MRI and histopatholgical changes in seventeen discs from 7 cadaveric lumbar spines. Close comparision of MRI (T2-weighted) and the histological sections of the discs showed a high correlation between MRI and histopathological findings. The area with low intensity in the nucleus pulposus on MRI derived from an increase in collagen fibers, the area with high intensity in the annulus correlated to an area of tear. Four types of MRI were distinguished on the basis of the shape, with each type related with the pathological stage of disc degeneration.
These findings suggest that shape and intensity of MRI provides a precise evaluation of the degree of disc degeneration.
