title: Prevalence of Age-Related Changes in Ovine Lumbar Intervertebral Discs during Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: Ovine models are used to study intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. The objective of the current study was to assess the naturally occurring age-related changes of the IVD that can be diagnosed by CT and MRI in the lumbar spine of sheep. We used CT and T2-weighted MR images to score the IVD (L6S1 to L1L2) in 41 sheep (age, 6 mo to 11 y) that were euthanized for reasons not related to musculoskeletal disease. T2 mapping and measurement of T2 time of L6S1 to L2L3 were performed in 22 of the sheep. Degenerative changes manifested as early as 2 y of age and occurred at every IVD level. Discs were more severely damaged in older sheep. The age effect of the L6S1 IVD was larger than the average age effect for the other IVD. The current study provides evidence that lesions similar to those encountered in humans can be identified by CT and MRI in lumbar spine of sheep. Ideally, research animals should be assessed at the initiation of preclinical trials to determine the extent of prevalent degenerative changes. The ovine lumbosacral disc seems particularly prone to degeneration and might be a favorable anatomic site for studying IVD degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Mont Godinne-Dinant, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nisolle
authors.affiliation: Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bihin
authors.affiliation: Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kirschvink
authors.affiliation: Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neveu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, UK.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dugdale
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implants, Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium. jean-michel.vandeweerd@unamur.be.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vandeweerd
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012756:Sheep / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed