The relationship between quantitative measures of disc height and disc signal intensity with Pfirrmann score of disc degeneration

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Table 3 Relationship between quantitative disc height and signal intensity with Pfirrmann’s score

	Pfirrmann 1 N = 24	Pfirrmann 2 N = 165	Pfirrmann 3 N = 96	Pfirrmann 4 N = 82	Pfirrmann 5 N = 13	p value Significant pairwise comparisons (p < 0.01)
DH_Raw (cm)	0.80 (0.14)	0.77 (0.14)	0.81 (0.16)	0.75 (0.15)	0.46 (0.10)	Pfirrmann 5 compared to all other Pfirrmann levels
DH ratio 1	0.0046 (0.0007)	0.0045 (0.0008)	0.0047 (0.0009)	0.0044 (0.0009)	0.0027 (0.0005)	Pfirrmann 5 compared to all other Pfirrmann levels
DH ratio 2	0.29 (0.05)	0.28 (0.05)	0.30 (0.06)	0.28 (0.06)	0.17 (0.03)	Pfirrmann 5 compared to all other Pfirrmann levels
SI-Raw	245.7 (58.3)	208.4 (52.7)	138.55 (34.0)	98.7 (22.7)	76.2 (22.7)	All comparisons except Pfirrmann 4 compared to 5
SI-ratio1	0.30 (0.10)	0.22 (0.06)	0.14 (0.03)	0.11 (0.02)	0.08 (0.03)	All comparisons except Pfirrmann 4 compared to 5
SI_ratio2	0.25 (0.07)	0.19 (0.05)	0.13 (0.03)	0.09 (0.03)	0.07 (0.03)	All comparisons except Pfirrmann 4 compared to 5

All values are mean (SD). DH = disc height; disc height ratio 1 was calculated by dividing by the persons height (cm); disc height ratio 2 was calculated by dividing by height of the vertebral body above the disc (cm); SI = Signal intensity; Signal intensity ratio 1 was calculated by dividing by the cerebrospinal fluid brightness at the same spinal level; signal intensity ratio 2 was calculated by dividing by the brightest cerebrospinal fluid at any spinal level