Table 1.

Scoring of vertebral disc degeneration by Miyamoto’s method^*

Score	Morphology of the vertebral disc
1	Normal vertebral disc with properly arranged fibrous rings and nucleus pulposus was observed
2	Lameller structure of the fibrous rings disappeared. Hyperplasia of the cartilage endplates was observed
3	The nucleus pulposus crimpled or disappeared
4	Fractures were observed in the fibrous rings
5	Intervertebral disc herniation or osteophytes were observed

^*Miyamoto et al., 1991