title: [Imageology change of the intervertebral foramen degenerative intervertebral disc in different degrees and its clinical].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the imageology change of the intervertebral foramen degenerative intervertebral disc in different degrees and explore its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The imageology data (MRI and CT) of 37 patients with degenerative disc disease of L4,5 (male 23, female 14, age from 28 to 62 years with an average of 41.6 years)were investigated. The patients were divided into three groups depending on the mean signal intensity rate of degenerative disc and cerebrospinal fluid:light degenerative group (group A) of 11 cases, intermediate degenerative group (group B) of 13 cases, and severe degenerative group (group C) of 13 cases. The extreme altitude, maximum width and areas of the intervertebral foramen were measured from the CT 1.25 mm scan reconstitution. The changes of the intervertebral foramen were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) 1. The extreme altitude and areas of the intervertebral foramen gradually diminished among the light degenerative group, intermediate degenerative group and severe degenerative group, there was no significant deviation between intermediate degenerative group and the light degenerative group (P > 0.05), there was statistical significance between severe degenerative group and intermediate degenerative group (P < 0.05), there was statistical significance between severe degenerative group and light degenerative group (P < 0.01). (2) There was no statistical significance of the maximum width of intervertebral foramen among three groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extreme altitude and areas of the intervertebral foramen gradually diminished when the disc are differently degenerative. But there was not significant correlation to width of the intervertebral foramen; the dimin height and area of intervertebral foramen should result in root compression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, the People's Hospital of Pizhou, Pizhou 221300, Jiangsu, China. miaosheng@126.com
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lian-Qi
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Guang-Zhao
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: Yong-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed