Advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Assessment of Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine

The intervertebral disc is characterized by a tension-resisting annulus fibrosus and a compression-resisting nucleus pulposus composed largely of proteoglycan. Both the annulus and the nucleus function in concert to provide the disc with mechanical stability. Early disc degeneration begins in the nucleus with proteoglycan depletion. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques have been developed to noninvasively quantify the earliest degenerative changes that occur within the disc. Our ability to identify and quantify these early biochemical changes will provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of disc degeneration and facilitate the study of interventions that aim to halt or reverse the degenerative process.