Corralation Between Vertebral Endplate And Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Objective: Through to the endplate concave Angle measurement and Modic changes of observation, analysis of the endplate concave Angle and the correlation of lumbar disc degeneration, probing into the Modic changes of lumbar endplate and lumbar disc degeneration.Method: Select 316 cases of patients with lumbar spine MRI examination and imaging findings is divided into two groups including 186 males(40±11.3) and 130 females( 37±12.5) from our hospital in March 2012 to 2014 November except for spinal surgery,congenital deformities, trauma, tumors, infections and others bone abnormalities disease.To measure the male and female group L3-L5 endplate angles in MRI sagittal plane and analysis the incidence of Modic changes between male group and female group L3-5adjacent endplate. According to Pfirrmann grade of 316 patients to determine the extent of L3-5 intervertebral disc degeneration, then measure the L3-5 vertebral endplate angles to analyze the correlation. According to Modic grading standards to record the presence of Modic changes and the type and the rate of change in the middle sagittal MRI. Using SPSS20.0 statistical software package for analysis of the measured data, gender group endplate angles were compared using independent samples t-test; Modic change in the incidence of gender groups were compared using the X2 test; lumbar disc degeneration and the adjacent endplate angle using spearman correlation analysis test; correlation of lumbar disc degeneration and Modic changes in area ratio using ANOVA and spearman test.Results:(1) The t values were 0.37,0.58,0.42,0.68 between the two groups of L3-5endplate, P> 0.05;(2) L3-4 endplate angle increases with disc degeneration PfirrmannⅠ-Ⅴ level, the correlation coefficient r = 0.976 and 0.977, P < 0.001; L4-5 endplate angle increases with disc degeneration Pfirrmann Ⅰ-Ⅴ level, the correlation coefficient r =0.951 and 0.970, P < 0.001;(3) 107(8.47%) cases of patients with L3-5 intervertebral disc occur Modic changes, including: 40(3.16%) cases type ì; 50(3.96%) cases typeⅡ;17(1.34%) cases type Ⅲ. The male was 29.6%(55/186) and the female was 40.0%(52/130). the difference was statistically significant(X2= 4.61, P <0.05);(4) The disc degeneration PfirrmannⅠ-Ⅴ level were 0%(0/107), 17.8%(19/107), 16.8%(18/107),30.8%(33/107) and 34.6%(37/107) in 107 cases endplate Modic changes. The rates ofⅡ-Ⅴ grade Modic area change were(10.03 ± 4.25)%,(17.25 ± 2.10)%,(26.36 ±4.59)% and(37.85 ± 2.16) %.Spearman test showed that the rate of change with Modic area PfirrmannⅡ-Ⅴ level was positively correlated(r =0.971, P <0.001).Conclusions : Endplate angle and lumbar disc degeneration was positively correlated,Modic changes in female was higher than male. Except of the normal disc, the more serious aggravation of lumbar disc degeneration, the higher rate of change increases. The endplates and endplate signal changes can reflect the degree of disc degeneration in the future through the median sagittal T2-weighted MRI image and Modic changes can reflect the rate of clinical lumbar disc degeneration degree.