Quantitative Predictive Imaging Biomarkers of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Study Design: Observational comparative study.

Purpose: To compare fractional anisotropy (FA) maps with T2 values of the nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) of intervertebral discs in healthy volunteers and patients to develop a predictive disc health scale.

Overview Of Literature: T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not sensitive to early morphological changes and provides no quantitative biomarker profile for early degeneration.