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Review
. 2015 Sep 1;15(9):1919-32.
doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2014.09.010.

Novel diagnostic and prognostic methods for disc degeneration and low back pain

Dino Samartzis  1 , Ari Borthakur  2 , Inna Belfer  3 , Cora Bow  4 , Jeffrey C Lotz  5 , Hai-Qiang Wang  6 , Kenneth M C Cheung  4 , Eugene Carragee  7 , Jaro Karppinen  8
Affiliations
Review

Novel diagnostic and prognostic methods for disc degeneration and low back pain

Dino Samartzis et al. Spine J. .
No abstract available

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sagittal T2-weighted magnetic resonace imaging of the lumbar spine. (Left) Normal hydrated discs manifesting as high signal intensity in an asymptomatic subject. (Right) Loss of disc signal intensity, with multiple levels of decreased disc height, Modic changes, end-plate abnormalities, disc displacement, and loss of lumbar lordosis in an individual with low back pain.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Representative proton T2 magnetic resonace imaging (gray scale) and corresponding T1ρ maps (in color overlaid on gray-scale T1ρ-weighted image) of the lumbar discs from (Left) a 52-year-old female and (Middle) a 35-year-old male patients diagnosed with low back pain and from (Right) an asymptomatic 38-year-old man. Average T1ρ (in milliseconds) was measured in the disc nucleus and is displayed below each disc, followed by the opening pressure (in psi) and whether discs were painful (P) or nonpainful (N), both determined by discography are indicated in the lower back pain patients [136].
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
A glycosaminoglycan map of the intervertebral disc is determined using the magnetic resonace imaging glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST) method in two subjects: (Top) a 25-year-old woman at L5–S1 and (Bottom) a 54-year-old man at L5–S1. The nucleus pulposus is delineated from the annulus fibrosus (AF) region by the dotted oval in the 1.5-ppm images. The gagCEST maps are shown at different frequency offsets relative to water at 0 ppm. In both subjects, the gagCEST effect is highest in the 0.75- to 1-ppm range of frequency offsets [84].
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
(Left) T2-weighted magnetic resonace imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine and its corresponding (Right) ultrashort time-to-echo MRI.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Representative proton T2-weighted magnetic resonace imaging (gray scale) and corresponding sodium maps (color) obtained in vivo. (Top) A 22-year-old man with lower lumbar trauma that resulted in chronic low back pain. (Bottom) A 26-year-old asymptomatic man [98].
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Comment in

References

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