Objective To investigate the clinical value of MRI modified water-lipid separation technique (mDIXON-Quant) in terms of T2* values and fat fraction (FF) values for evaluating the degree of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration.

Methods A total of 118 patients who underwent routine MRI of the cervical vertebra and the mDIXON-Quant examination in Fuyang People's Hospital from March 2019 to January 2024 were collected. The T2* values of C2/3 to C6/7 intervertebral discs and FF values of the upper and lower vertebral bodies were measured. Cervical intervertebral disc degeneration was graded according to the Pfirrmann criteria. The T2* values and FF values of different patients were compared with the Pfirrmann grades, and the correlation between T2* values, FF values, and Pfirrmann grades was analyzed by Spearman correlation.

Results The T2* values of cervical intervertebral discs in grades I, II, III, IV, and V all showed a decreasing trend (P＜0.05). The decreasing order of FF values in the upper cervical vertebra was IV, V, III, II, and I (F=93.28, P＜0.05), and the decreasing order of FF values in the lower cervical vertebra was IV, III, V, II, and I (F=112.037, P＜0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the T2* values of cervical intervertebral discs were negatively correlated with the Pfirrmann grades (P＜0.05), and the FF values of the upper and lower vertebrae were positively correlated with the Pfirrmann grades (P＜0.05).

Conclusion The mDIXON-Quant technique can be used to quantify the T2* values and FF values of cervical intervertebral disc degeneration and plays an important role in accurate clinical diagnosis and evaluation of treatment effects.