Tissue characterization of symptomatic and asymptomatic disc herniations by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

The purpose of this investigation was to determine differences in tissue composition of symptomatic and asymptomatic disc herniations as reflected in T1 and T2 relaxation times (quantitative magnetic resonance investigation of the lumber spine. The longitudinal and transverse magnetic rlaxation times (T1 and T2, respectively) were calculated from a set of 20 images obtained with five single‐slice/multi‐echo sequences at different repetition time values on a commercial whole‐body system (1.5 T). Twenty‐two symptomatic and asymptomatic disc herniations could be matched according to age, gender, disc level, and the extent of herniation (protrusion or extrusion) and were compared with regard to T1 and T2 relaxation times. Symptomatic disc herniations exhibited significantly (pT1 < 0.04 and pT2 < 0.003) shorter T1(ΔT1:–182.1 milliseconds, −15%) and T2(ΔT2: −11.0 milliseconds, −21%) relaxation times than matched asymptomatic herniations. Symptomatic disc herniations also exhibited more advanced disc degeneration as graded by Pearce's criteria (p < 0.01). These results suggest that symptomatic and morphologically matched asymptomatic disc herniations differ with regard to disc matrix composition.