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

TLDR

Limited data exist on how age and gender affect thoracic vertebral body shape and intervertebral disc degeneration. The authors retrospectively analyzed T1‑weighted midsagittal MR images from 169 patients to quantify age‑related changes in anterior wedge, biconcavity, and compression indices, and graded disc degeneration on T2‑weighted sagittal images using a three‑level system. They found a linear age‑related decline in Ha/Hp and Hm/Hp, an early rise then gradual fall in Hp/D, increasing prevalence of annular, nuclear, and disc‑margin abnormalities with age—especially in mid‑ and lower‑thoracic levels—and greater degenerative changes in males, providing new insight into thoracic vertebral morphology across the lifespan.

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.