T2 relaxation time for intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with upper back pain: initial results on the clinical use of 3.0 Tesla MRI

Table 2 T2 values in different level groups of asymptomatic volunteers

Pfirrmann	No.	T2 values (mean, ms)	No.	T2 values (mean, ms)
Grade		C2-7		C7T1
I	35	71.98 ± 12.34	13	85.45 ± 19.53
II	68	64.25 ± 11.28@	16	73.49 ± 15.44$
III	87	62.76 ± 9.37@	20	67.72 ± 9.71$%
IV	58	50.39 ± 10.75@#^	11	54.60 ± 8.11$%~
V	52	41.23 ± 7.73@#^&	—	—
Total/average	300	59.65 ± 9.55	60	68.71 ± 13.14

Mean values (±standard deviation) of T2 relaxation times in milliseconds in different compartments of the cervical intervertebral disc for different Pfirrmann groups are shown. NP, nucleus pulposus. @ Compared with T2 values of NP of grade I for C2-7, P < 0.000; #Compared with T2 values of NP of grade II for C2-7, P < 0.000; ^Compared with T2 values of NP of grade III for C2-7, P < 0.002; &Compared with T2 values of NP of grade V for C2-7, P < 0.05; $ Compared with T2 values of NP of grade I for C7T1, P < 0.004; %Compared with T2 values of NP of grade II for C7T1, P < 0.000; ~Compared with T2 values of NP of grade III for C7T1, P < 0.05

ISSN: 1471-2342