Magnetic Resonance Signal Patterns of Lumbar Discs in Patients with Low Back Pain

Abstract

This study presents a large prospective analysis of abnormal magnetic resonance signal patterns in 1,389 lumbar discs in 892 patients with chronic low back pain. Discographic correlations were available at 166 disc levels. Six different signal patterns were identified, and correlations with discograms would suggest that these patterns reflect the differing and progressive changes of lumbar disc degeneration that occur in vivo in patients with low back pain.