European Spine Journal最新文献

{"title":"Answer to the letter to the editor of CZ Liu, et al. concerning \"Association between vertebral bone quality score and residual back pain following percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures\" by Chen C, et al. (Eur Spine J [2024]: doi: 10.1007/s00586-024-08619-6).","authors":"Wenhua Wu","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08757-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-08757-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143531249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age-threshold for increased risk of developing back disorders: prospective cohort with 74 000 individuals from the UK Biobank.","authors":"Rubén López-Bueno, Lars Louis Andersen, Rodrigo Núñez-Cortés, Laura López-Bueno, Luis Suso-Martí, Jorge Hugo Villafañe, Joaquín Salazar-Méndez, Joaquín Calatayud","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08686-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08686-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the prospective associations between age and the risk of low back disorders (LBD), dorsal disorders (DD), and cervical disorders (CD), and to identify a potential age-threshold for increased risk of back disorders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Prospective cohort from the UK Biobank comprising adults with no history of back disorders. We examined different ages and their association with the risk of back disorders derived from diagnoses of hospital registers. Associations were investigated using restricted cubic splines adjusted for sex, racial and ethnic background, tobacco use, Townsend Deprivation Index, alcohol consumption, educational attainment, employment status, self-reported health, diet quality, body mass index, medication use, physical activity, and handgrip strength.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analytic sample comprised 74,191 participants (mean [SD] age, 55.2 [7.8] years; 57%women) who were followed-up for 7.9 years (IQR = 7.3-8.4). Overall, 3297 (4.3%) cases of incident LBD, 1224 (1.6%) cases of DD, and 792 (1.0%) of CD were documented. The association between age and LBD showed a curvilinear shape with significant higher risk within the range of 61 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.39 [95%CI,1.02-1.49]) and 70 (HR = 1.71 [95%CI,1.38-2.12]) years (reference:40 years). Similarly, the association of age with DD exhibited a significant curvilinear association within the range of 60 (HR = 1.31 [95%CI,1.01-1.92]) and 70 (HR = 2.74 [95%CI,1.94-3.86]) years. The association between age and CD was not significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The risk of LBD and DD, but not CD, increases beyond 60 years of age. Targeting people at this critical age-threshold to prevent risk for LBD and DD may be warranted for future interventions and preventive health programmes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"861-868"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143052108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the five-repetition sit-to-stand test in patients with lumbar disc herniation.","authors":"Anita M Klukowska, Manon G Dol, W Peter Vandertop, Marc L Schröder, Victor E Staartjes","doi":"10.1007/s00586-024-08582-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-024-08582-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The impact of surgical interventions on lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is often assessed using objective functional impairment (OFI) tests like the five-repetition sit-to-stand (5R-STS) test. This study calculates the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for 5R-STS improvement in patients with LDH one year after surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adult patients with LDH scheduled for surgery were prospectively recruited from a Dutch short-stay spinal clinic. The 5R-STS time, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Numeric Rating Scale for back and leg pain, EQ-5D-3L health-related quality of life questionnaire and EQ5D-VAS were recorded preoperatively, at 6-weeks and 1-year post-operatively. The MCID was calculated using anchor-based methods (within-patient change; between-patient change; and receiver-operating characteristic approaches) and distribution-based methods (0.5 standard deviation (SD); effect size; standard error of measurement; standardized response mean; and 95% minimum detectable change (MDC)). The final MCID value was based on the \"gold standard\": an averaging of the anchor-based methods using ODI and RMDQ as the closest available anchors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We prospectively recruited 134 patients. One-year follow-up was completed by 103 (76.8%) of patients. The MCID values derived using different methods varied from 0.7 to 5.1 s (s). The final, averaged, anchor-based MCID for improvement was 3.6 s. Within distribution-based methods, 95% MDC and 0.5SD approach, yielded an MCID of 3.0 and 3.8 s, respectively, aligning closely with the overall anchor-derived MCID for 5R-STS.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In a patient with LDH, an improvement in 5R-STS performance of at least 3.6 s can be regarded as a clinically relevant improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1107-1114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142828167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MRI-based endplate bone quality scores outperform vertebral bone quality scores in predicting adjacent segment disease following transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.","authors":"Yongdi Wang, Ce Zhu, Youwei Ai, Juehan Wang, Lei Wang, Chunguang Zhou, Hong Ding, Dun Luo, Qian Chen, Limin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08644-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08644-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to (1) evaluate whether the endplate bone quality (EBQ) scores can independently predict adjacent segment disease (ASD); and (2) judge the predictive value of EBQ compared to vertebral bone quality (VBQ) for ASD after single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted of patients undergoing single-level TLIF for degenerative spinal disease from 2014 to 2020. Demographic, surgery, and radiographic data were collected. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for ASD. Furthermore, a receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the EBQ score and VBQ score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The rate of ASD was 16.4% at a minimum 24-month follow-up. Significant risk factors for ASD were higher VBQ score (OR = 3.418, 95%CI: 1.297-9.008, P = 0.013), higher EBQ score (OR = 2.469, 95%CI: 1.085-5.621, P = 0.031), and higher adjacent segment Pfirrmann grade (OR = 2.866, 95%CI: 1.765-4.653, P<0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of VBQ and EBQ for distinguishing ASD were 0.806 (95%CI: 0.728-0.883) and 0.835 (95%CI: 0.757-0.912). The optimal threshold of VBQ scores was 2.926 (sensitivity: 90.6%, specificity: 62.0%) and of EBQ was 3.511 (sensitivity: 90.6%, specificity: 71.8%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Higher VBQ and EBQ scores are both independent risk factors of ASD after single-segment TLIF surgery, and EBQ scores perform better in predicting ASD. When EBQ > 3.511, there is a considerable risk of ASD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1055-1062"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142946827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of paraspinal muscle degeneration in cervical spondylosis.","authors":"Zhifei Li, Yisheng Zhang, Yuanfang Lin, Chunyu Fan, Yin Yang, Yueli Sun, Zhihua Wu, Ziyang Liang","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08648-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08648-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore the relationship between paraspinal muscle degeneration and cervical spondylosis through cervical spine MRI and lateral X-ray.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective study included 83 cervical spondylosis patients as the experimental group, consisting of 28 axial joint pain (Group A), 29 cervical radiculopathy (Group B), and 26 myelopathy (Group C), as well as 29 healthy individuals as the control group (Group D). The cross-sectional area (CSA) of paraspinal muscles at the C3-4, C4-5, and C5-6 segments was measured, including the deep extensor area (DEA), deep flexor area (DFA), and superficial extensor area (SEA). Additionally, fatty infiltration (FI) ratio was calculated, namely the deep extensor fatty infiltration ratio (DEFIR), deep flexor fatty infiltration ratio (DFFIR), and superficial extensor fatty infiltration ratio (SEFIR). Correlations of CSA and FI ratio with age, body mass index, Pfirrmann grading, and Cobb angle were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>(1) Pfirrmann grading in groups A, B, and C was significantly higher than that in group D (P < 0.001), with group C higher than groups A and B (P < 0.05), but the difference between groups A and B was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). (2) There was no significant difference in the CSA among groups (P > 0.05). For DEFIR and DFFIR, group C > group B > group A > group D, with significant differences (P < 0.05). For SEFIR, groups A, B, and C were significantly higher than group D (P < 0.001), with no significant differences between the other pairs (P > 0.05). (3) The CSA of males was significantly greater than females (P < 0.001), while the difference in FI ratio was not significant (P > 0.05). (4) In the control group, DEFIR and DFFIR were positively correlated with age (r = 0.538, P = 0.003; r = 0.829, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with Cobb angle (r=-0.523, P = 0.004; r=-0.535, P = 0.003). In the experimental group, DEFIR and DFFIR were positively correlated with age (r = 0.731, P < 0.001; r = 0.741, P < 0.001) and Pfirrmann grading (r = 0.778, P < 0.001; r = 0.812, P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with Cobb angle (r=-0.507, P < 0.001; r=-0.539, P < 0.001). There were no correlations between the other parameters.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In cervical spondylosis patients, the FI ratio of the deep cervical muscle is linked to both worsening disc degeneration and changes in cervical spine alignment. Among the different subtypes, cervical myelopathy shows the highest FI ratio of the deep cervical muscle and disc degeneration, indicating its significant impact on spinal structure and muscular integrity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1187-1197"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142983190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"C2 anatomical pedicle screw for C2 fixation under the concept of atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular cages: technical note.","authors":"Yue-Qi Du, Mao-Yang Qi, Jia-Lu Wang, Can Zhang, Peng-Hao Liu, Bo-Yan Zhang, Jian Guan, Feng-Zeng Jian, Wan-Ru Duan, Zan Chen","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08655-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08655-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To describe a novel alternative technique for C2 fixation under the concept of atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages, and to report its preliminary clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighteen patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation underwent atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages. All patients had hypoplasia of the C2 isthmus prohibiting insertion of the pedicle screw. A new method, the C2 anatomical pedicle screw (C2APS) was used as an alternative. In this technique, we directly inserted screw into the C2 anatomical pedicle after facet joint distraction and Cage implementation. The trajectory mostly went through the anatomical pedicle, which completely bypasses the variated VA and decreases the risk of VA harm. The dense anatomical pedicle could provide robust and secure screw purchase.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>C2APS was indicated for 32 screws in 18 patients. Satisfactory C2APS placement was achieved in all patients. No VA injury was observed. Sufficient reduction and decompression were achieved in all cases. There were no cases of implant failure, and all patients demonstrated solid fusion. JOA scores improved from 14.6 ± 1.5 preoperatively, to 16.0 ± 0.8 at the final follow-up (p < 0.01). The measured radiographic indices for basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation significantly improved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This novel technique can provide reliable fixation of the axis while eliminating VA injury. When placement of a C2 pedicle screw is not possible due to anatomical constraints, C2APS can be considered as a safe and efficient alternative when the technique of atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages was used.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1203-1210"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Presentation and surgical management approaches of giant presacral and sacral schwannomas: a case report and systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Khalid Sarhan, Ibrahim Serag, Amin Sabry, Hossam Elghareeb, Mostafa Shahein","doi":"10.1007/s00586-024-08641-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-024-08641-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are very rare conditions and their prevalence is estimated to account for only 0.3 to 3.3% of overall schwannomas. Current published literature about these tumors is limited to case reports and small case series. In this paper we systematically reviewed and analyzed the available literature on giant sacral schwannomas focusing on identifying the presenting symptoms, Klimo type, surgical approach, recurrence rate and postoperative complications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search on electronic databases to obtain the relevant studies until March 2024. We included reports of surgically managed giant sacral schwannomas; either involving tumor of at least 2 adjacent vertebra or had a maximum diameter of 5 cm or more. Presenting symptoms, tumor size, morphology, surgical approach and postoperative complications were reported.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 102 studies with 201 unique patients were included in our analysis (mean age 45.4 ± 9.8, 49.7% females). The most common presenting symptoms were lower extremity radicular pain (19.5%), lower back pain (14.1%), lower extremity numbness or paresthesia (9%), and constipation (7.6%). Most surgeries used an open posterior approach (40.1%) or open anterior approach (33.5%). Postoperative complications occurred in (29.3%) of patients and 10% had local recurrence or progression of their tumor. On linear regression the volume of the tumor could significantly predict the estimated amount of blood loss (P = 0.03). We found that an anterior approach was far more likely to be used in patients with Klimo type III, (P < 0.001). Similarly, posterior approach was mostly used for Klimo type I and type II (P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The management approach of giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are mainly tailored according to the tumor size and location. Due to the benign nature and the overall recurrence rate of the tumor, frequent imaging follow-up is required after safe resection with adequate clean margins.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"874-886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inter-observer variability in the classification of lumbar foraminal stenosis in magnetic resonance imaging using different evaluation scales.","authors":"José Sá Silva, Ana Pereira, Vasco Abreu, João Pedro Filipe","doi":"10.1007/s00586-024-08612-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-024-08612-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The evaluation of lumbar spine degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is prone to inter-reader variability, including when assessing foraminal changes. This variability, often due to subjective criteria and inconsistent terminology, may affect clinical correlations. Standardized criteria could help improve agreement among readers.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>MRI of the lumbar spine of 50 randomly selected patients were evaluated by 12 independent readers. Foraminal stenosis was assessed using four different rating scales for each patient. The first scale classified stenosis as presence/absence of neurologic compromise of the spinal nerve root at the foramen, the second scale classified stenosis as absent/mild/moderate/severe, the third scale as normal/contact of disk or osteophyte with the nerve root/deviation of the nerve root/compression of the nerve root, and the fourth scale utilized the Lee et al. criteria. Agreement analysis was performed using Fleiss' kappa coefficients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Agreement was moderate using the first scale (k = 0.439), and significantly lower using the second, third and fourth scales (k = 0.310, k = 0.311, k = 0.295, respectively). When comparing the agreements obtained between board certified neuroradiologists and between neuroradiology residents, there was statistically significant differences when using the third and fourth scales, where the agreement for board certified neuroradiologists was higher, but still only fair. Individual kappas showed that in the second, third, and fourth scales the levels of agreement were higher in the extremes of the scale, namely, when there was no stenosis or when the stenosis was maximal with nerve compression.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Levels of agreement can differ depending on the scale used. Simpler dichotomous scales may return higher levels of agreement compared to more complex ones. For the non-dichotomous scales, using different scales may not result in overall different levels of agreement. Given the overall low inter-rater agreements observed, there is probably significant potential to enhance agreement through more rigorous training and consensus-building.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"869-873"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142863807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sacrum1-pubic angle: a novel and alternative morphologic radiological parameter for assessing spinopelvic sagittal alignment in human adults.","authors":"Feiyu Zu, Hao Qi, Chenchen Wang, Zenghui Zhao, Zhaoxuan Wang, Chenxi Wang, Wei Chen, Zhiyong Hou, Rui Xue, Di Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08681-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08681-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Spinopelvic sagittal balance ensures efficient posture and minimizes energy expenditure by aligning the spine, pelvis, and lower extremities. Deviations can cause clinical issues like back pain and functional limitations. Key radiographic parameters, including pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), and lumbar lordosis (LL), are essential for evaluating spinal pathologies and planning surgeries. Accurate PI measurement is challenging in certain conditions, necessitating alternative parameters. This study aimed to introduce a new, easily measurable parameter and examine its reliability and correlation with established sagittal parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analyzed 107 asymptomatic adult volunteers (57 males and 50 females), with an average age of 36.75 years. Whole-spine radiographs in the standing position were taken using EOS technology. The established spinopelvic sagittal parameters and a novel parameter, sacrum1-pubic angle (S1PA), were measured. The correlation coefficient of each parameter, the regression equation of PI using S1PA, and the regression equation of PTα using PTβ were obtained. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) was calculated to evaluate the measurement reliability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Morphologic (S1PA, PI) and positional parameters (PTα, PTβ, PTγ, SS, LL) showed no significant gender differences (p > 0.05). S1PA had strong correlations with PI (r = -0.883, p < 0.001) and other parameters. PTα demonstrated a strong correlation with PTβ (r = -0.929, p < 0.001). PI could be predicted according to the regression equation: PI = 71.672 - 4.537 × S1PA (R² = 0.779, p < 0.001). The PTα could be predicted using the following equation: PTα = 67.245 - 0.865 × PTβ (R² = 0.864, p < 0.001). Reliability analysis showed high intra- and inter-rater agreement in all the spinopelvic parameters.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The S1PA is a dependable parameter for evaluating the morphology and orientation of the pelvis. PI could be precisely predicted using the S1PA. These insights are valuable for clinicians, enhancing their ability to assess spinopelvic sagittal alignment accurately.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"910-917"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective disc age: a statistical model for age-dependent and level-specific lumbar disc degeneration using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).","authors":"Harrah R Newman, John M Peloquin, Kyle D Meadows, Barry A Bodt, Edward J Vresilovic, Dawn M Elliott","doi":"10.1007/s00586-025-08729-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00586-025-08729-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Intervertebral disc degeneration progresses with normal aging; yet common disc grading schemes do not account for age. Degeneration progression also varies between spine levels and is similarly not accounted for by current grading schemes. These limitations inhibit differentiation between discs with normal and expected aging (non-pathological) and discs with accelerated degeneration (which may be pathological). We sought to develop a statistical model to quantify normal age and spine level dependent disc degeneration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighty-four asymptomatic adult subjects ranging evenly from 18 to 83 years old underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine. Subject traits, MRI-derived disc geometry, and MRI biomarkers of T2 relaxation time were evaluated and used to develop a statistical model to predict effective disc age, the age at which normal aging would produce a disc's observed phenotype.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After evaluating several models, a 4-predictor model utilizing 1) subject height, 2) nucleus pulposus T2 relaxation time, 3) disc mid-sagittal area and 4) disc 3D volume, optimally estimated effective disc age. The effective age closely tracked true age for spine levels L1-L5 (R² ≈ 0.7, RMSE ≈ 10 years) and moderately tracked true age for L5-S1 (R² = 0.4, RMSE = 14 years). The uncertainty in the effective disc age prediction was ± 3 years as assessed by fivefold cross validation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We offer a data-driven, quantitative tool to quantify normal, expected intervertebral disc aging. This effective age model allows future research to target discs with accelerated degeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":12323,"journal":{"name":"European Spine Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}