Table 2.
The Pfirrmann grading system for lumbar disc degeneration.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All (n = 182) | |||||
| L1/2 | 0 | 90 (49.5) | 43 (23.6) | 22 (12.1) | 27 (14.8) |
| L2/3 | 0 | 48 (26.4) | 50 (27.5) | 37 (20.3) | 47 (25.8) |
| L3/4 | 2 (1.1) | 24 (13.2) | 57 (31.3) | 46 (25.3) | 53 (29.1) |
| L4/5 | 2 (1.1) | 8 (4.4) | 35 (19.2) | 65 (35.7) | 72 (39.6) |
| L5/S1 | 0 | 10 (5.5) | 30 (16.5) | 43 (23.6) | 99 (54.4) |
| Low-score group (n = 102) | |||||
| L1/2 | 0 | 74 (72.5) | 21 (20.6) | 6 (5.9) | 1 (1.0) |
| L2/3 | 0 | 47 (46.1) | 39 (38.2) | 13 (12.7) | 3 (2.9) |
| L3/4 | 2 (2.0) | 24 (23.5) | 50 (49.0) | 23 (22.5) | 3 (2.9) |
| L4/5 | 2 (2.0) | 8 (7.8) | 31 (30.4) | 45 (44.1) | 16 (15.7) |
| L5/S1 | 0 | 10 (9.8) | 25 (24.5) | 31 (30.4) | 36 (35.3) |
| High-score group (n = 80) | |||||
| L1/2 | 0 | 16 (20.0) | 22 (27.5) | 16 (20.0) | 26 (32.5) |
| L2/3 | 0 | 1 (1.3) | 11 (13.8) | 24 (30.0) | 44 (55.0) |
| L3/4 | 0 | 0 | 7 (8.8) | 23 (28.7) | 50 (62.5) |
| L4/5 | 0 | 0 | 4 (5.0) | 20 (25.0) | 56 (70.0) |
| L5/S1 | 0 | 0 | 5 (6.3) | 12 (15.0) | 63 (78.8) |
Values are expressed as n (%).