Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Morphology of Discovertebral Junction in Chronic Low Back Pain Subjects.

IF 2.2 4区医学 Q2 RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING

Tomography Pub Date : 2025-01-23 DOI:10.3390/tomography11020012

Palanan Siriwananrangsun, Tim Finkenstaedt, Karen C Chen, Won C Bae

{"title":"Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetic Resonance Morphology of Discovertebral Junction in Chronic Low Back Pain Subjects.","authors":"Palanan Siriwananrangsun, Tim Finkenstaedt, Karen C Chen, Won C Bae","doi":"10.3390/tomography11020012","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) has been associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, but its association with abnormal morphology at the discovertebral junction (DVJ) is unclear. The goal of this study was to evaluate the DVJ morphology in asymptomatic (Asx) and symptomatic (Sx) subjects for LBP using ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI. Methods: We recruited 42 subjects (12 Asx and 32 Sx). Lumbar IVD degeneration was assessed using Pfirrmann grading (1 to 5), while the abnormality of DVJ (0 = normal; 1 = focal; 2 = broad abnormality) was assessed using UTE MRI. The effects of LBP and level on the mean IVD and DVJ grades, the correlation between IVD and DVJ grade, and the effect of LBP and age on the number of abnormal DVJs within a subject were determined. Results: IVD grade was higher in Sx subjects (p = 0.013), varying with disc level (p = 0.033), adjusted for age (p < 0.01). Similarly, DVJ grade was also significantly higher in Sx subjects (p = 0.001), but it did not vary with DVJ level (p = 0.7), adjusted for age (p = 0.5). There was a weak positive (rho = 0.344; p < 0.001) correlation between DVJ and IVD grade. The total number of abnormal DVJs within a subject was higher in Sx subjects (p < 0.001), but not with respect to age (p = 0.6) due to a large spread throughout the age range. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the feasibility of using in vivo UTE MRI of the lumbar spine to evaluate the DVJ and the correlation of DVJ with LBP. This study highlights the need for a better understanding of DVJ pathology and the inclusion of DVJ assessment in routine lumbar MRI.","PeriodicalId":51330,"journal":{"name":"Tomography","volume":"11 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11860485/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Tomography","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography11020012","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) has been associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, but its association with abnormal morphology at the discovertebral junction (DVJ) is unclear. The goal of this study was to evaluate the DVJ morphology in asymptomatic (Asx) and symptomatic (Sx) subjects for LBP using ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI. Methods: We recruited 42 subjects (12 Asx and 32 Sx). Lumbar IVD degeneration was assessed using Pfirrmann grading (1 to 5), while the abnormality of DVJ (0 = normal; 1 = focal; 2 = broad abnormality) was assessed using UTE MRI. The effects of LBP and level on the mean IVD and DVJ grades, the correlation between IVD and DVJ grade, and the effect of LBP and age on the number of abnormal DVJs within a subject were determined. Results: IVD grade was higher in Sx subjects (p = 0.013), varying with disc level (p = 0.033), adjusted for age (p < 0.01). Similarly, DVJ grade was also significantly higher in Sx subjects (p = 0.001), but it did not vary with DVJ level (p = 0.7), adjusted for age (p = 0.5). There was a weak positive (rho = 0.344; p < 0.001) correlation between DVJ and IVD grade. The total number of abnormal DVJs within a subject was higher in Sx subjects (p < 0.001), but not with respect to age (p = 0.6) due to a large spread throughout the age range. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the feasibility of using in vivo UTE MRI of the lumbar spine to evaluate the DVJ and the correlation of DVJ with LBP. This study highlights the need for a better understanding of DVJ pathology and the inclusion of DVJ assessment in routine lumbar MRI.

查看原文本刊更多论文

背景：慢性腰背痛（LBP）与椎间盘（IVD）退变有关，但其与椎间盘交界处（DVJ）形态异常的关系尚不清楚。本研究旨在使用超短回波时间（UTE）磁共振成像评估无症状（Asx）和有症状（Sx）腰背痛受试者的 DVJ 形态。方法：我们招募了 42 名受试者（12 名 Asx 和 32 名 Sx）。使用 Pfirrmann 分级（1 到 5）评估腰椎 IVD 退化情况，同时使用 UTE MRI 评估 DVJ 异常情况（0 = 正常；1 = 局灶性；2 = 广泛异常）。研究确定了椎体后凸和水平对平均椎体后凸和椎体后凸等级的影响、椎体后凸和椎体后凸等级之间的相关性，以及椎体后凸和年龄对受试者体内椎体后凸异常数量的影响。结果Sx受试者的IVD分级更高（p = 0.013），随椎间盘水平的变化而变化（p = 0.033），经年龄调整（p < 0.01）。同样，Sx 受试者的 DVJ 等级也明显更高（p = 0.001），但与 DVJ 水平无关（p = 0.7），根据年龄进行调整（p = 0.5）。DVJ 与 IVD 等级之间存在微弱的正相关性（rho = 0.344；p < 0.001）。Sx受试者体内异常DVJ的总数较高（p < 0.001），但与年龄无关（p = 0.6），因为整个年龄段的分布范围较大。结论这些结果证明了使用腰椎活体 UTE MRI 评估 DVJ 的可行性以及 DVJ 与 LBP 的相关性。这项研究强调了更好地了解 DVJ 病理和将 DVJ 评估纳入常规腰椎 MRI 的必要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Tomography Medicine-Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

CiteScore

2.70

自引率

10.50%

发文量

222

期刊介绍： TomographyTM publishes basic (technical and pre-clinical) and clinical scientific articles which involve the advancement of imaging technologies. Tomography encompasses studies that use single or multiple imaging modalities including for example CT, US, PET, SPECT, MR and hyperpolarization technologies, as well as optical modalities (i.e. bioluminescence, photoacoustic, endomicroscopy, fiber optic imaging and optical computed tomography) in basic sciences, engineering, preclinical and clinical medicine. Tomography also welcomes studies involving exploration and refinement of contrast mechanisms and image-derived metrics within and across modalities toward the development of novel imaging probes for image-based feedback and intervention. The use of imaging in biology and medicine provides unparalleled opportunities to noninvasively interrogate tissues to obtain real-time dynamic and quantitative information required for diagnosis and response to interventions and to follow evolving pathological conditions. As multi-modal studies and the complexities of imaging technologies themselves are ever increasing to provide advanced information to scientists and clinicians. Tomography provides a unique publication venue allowing investigators the opportunity to more precisely communicate integrated findings related to the diverse and heterogeneous features associated with underlying anatomical, physiological, functional, metabolic and molecular genetic activities of normal and diseased tissue. Thus Tomography publishes peer-reviewed articles which involve the broad use of imaging of any tissue and disease type including both preclinical and clinical investigations. In addition, hardware/software along with chemical and molecular probe advances are welcome as they are deemed to significantly contribute towards the long-term goal of improving the overall impact of imaging on scientific and clinical discovery.