Study on lumbar disc annulus fibrosus by MR diffusion tensor imaging
YAN Chunli1, ZHOU Min2, LI Mingying2, CHEN Xingcan1,2
1.the First Clinical Medical Institute, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035; 2.Department of Radiology, 117th Hospital of PLA, Hangzhou, 310013
YAN Chunli,ZHOU Min,LI Mingying, et al. Study on lumbar disc annulus fibrosus by MR diffusion tensor imaging[J]. JOURNAL OF WEZHOU MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, 2018, 48(2): 123-127.
Abstract:Objective: To evaluate the manifested ability of MR diffusion tensor imaging for lumbar disc annulus fibrosus. Methods: 15 healthy volunteers (control group) and 20 patients (patients group) with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LDH) underwent sagittal T1WI, T2WI and axial T2WI, DTI scan. Fiber tracking (FT) maps of these lumbar intervertebral discs were reconstructed based on the DTI data. The classification criterion of FT map was set and all FT maps were classified as regulars [continuous (A1) and discontinuous (A2)], disordes [continuous (B1) and discontinuous (B2)] and masses (C) by the morphological characteristics and continuity of annulus fibrosus in FT maps. All lumbar intervertebral discs were evaluated through Pfirrmann’s classification system. Spearman’s correlation coefficient of data was analyzed by SPSS software between the types of FT maps and Pfirrmann’s classification system. Results: There were 74 lumbar intervertebral discs examined in control group, in which type A1 was 22 (grade I 10, II 12), type A2 was 32 (grade I 14, II 18), type B1 were 15 (grade I 1, II 6, III 8), type B2 were 3 (grade II 1, III 2), type C were 2 (grade III 2); there were 86 lumbar intervertebral discs examined in patients group, in which, type A1 was 8 (grade II 5, III 3), type A2 was 7 (grade II 4, III 3), type B1 were 32 (grade II 2, III 27, IV 3), type B2 were 4 (grade III 4), type C were 35 (grade III 16, IV 17, V 2). 22 LDH in 20 patients underwent surgical operation. And there were 9 contained LDH (B1 2, B2 3, C 4) and 13 noncontained LDH (B1 2, C 11) were confirmed by operation. There is strong correlation between the type of FT maps and Pfirrmann’s classification system (r=0.741, P<0.001). Conclusion: DTI can manifest degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc noninvasively. The pattern of FT map for lumbar disc annulus fibrosus plays a guiding role in clinical treatment.