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Influence of age and gender on thoracic vertebral body shape and disc degeneration: an MR investigation of 169 cases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2001

S. GOH ,
C. TAN ,
R. I. PRICE ,
S. J. EDMONDSTON ,
S. SONG ,
S. DAVIS  and
K. P. SINGER
S. GOH
Affiliation:
Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies, University Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
C. TAN
Affiliation:
Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies, University Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
R. I. PRICE
Affiliation:
Medical Technology and Physics, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
S. J. EDMONDSTON
Affiliation:
Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies, University Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
S. SONG
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
S. DAVIS
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
K. P. SINGER
Affiliation:
Centre for Musculoskeletal Studies, University Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia Department of Radiology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
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Abstract

There are limited data detailing the pattern of age and gender-related changes to the thoracic vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. A retrospective MR investigation, involving T1-weighted midsagittal images from 169 cases, was undertaken to examine age influences on the anterior wedge (anteroposterior height ratio or Ha/Hp), biconcavity (midposterior height ratio or Hm/Hp), and compression indices (posterior height/anteroposterior diameter or Hp/D) of the thoracic vertebral bodies. Disc degenerative changes in the annulus, nucleus, end-plate and disc margin were noted on T2-weighted sagittal images for the 169 cases, based on a 3-level grading system. A linear age-related decline in the Ha/Hp and Hm/Hp indices was noted. The Hp/D index increased during the first few decades of life, then decreased gradually thereafter. The prevalence of abnormal findings in the annuli, nuclei and disc margins increased with increasing age, particularly in the mid and lower thoracic discs. Greater disc degenerative changes were observed in males. These findings provide further insight into the nature of thoracic vertebral shape changes across the lifespan, and the typical patterns of degeneration of the thoracic intervertebral discs.

Keywords

Thoracic spinevertebral bodiesintervertebral discsageingmagnetic resonance imaging
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Anatomy , Volume 197 , Issue 4 , November 2000 , pp. 647 - 657
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2000

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