Browsing by Subject "Low back pain"

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    Cartilage endplate thickness variation measured by ultrashort echo-time MRI is associated with adjacent disc degeneration
    (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2018) Berg-Johansen, B.; Han, M.; Fields, A. J.; Liebenberg, E. C.; Lim, B. J.; Larson, P. E. Z.; Gündüz Demir, Çiğdem; Kazakia, G. J.; Krug, R.; Lotz, J. C.
    Study design: A magnetic resonance imaging study of human cadaver spines. Objective: To investigate associations between cartilage endplate (CEP) thickness and disc degeneration. Summary of background data: Damage to the CEP is associated with spinal injury and back pain. However, CEP morphology and its association with disc degeneration have not been well characterized. Methods: Ten lumbar motion segments with varying degrees of disc degeneration were harvested from six cadaveric spines and scanned with MRI in the sagittal plane using a T2-weighted 2D sequence, a 3D ultrashort echo-time (UTE) imaging sequence, and a 3D T1ρ mapping sequence. CEP thicknesses were calculated from 3D UTE image data using a custom, automated algorithm, and these values were validated against histology measurements. Pfirrmann grades and T1ρ values in the disc were assessed and correlated with CEP thickness. Results: The mean CEP thickness calculated from UTE images was 0.74 ± 0.04 mm. Statistical comparisons between histology and UTE-derived measurements of CEP thickness showed significant agreement, with the mean difference not significantly different from zero (p = 0.32). Within-disc variation of T1ρ (standard deviation) was significantly lower for Pfirrmann grade 4 than Pfirrmann grade 3 (p < 0.05). Within-disc variation of T1ρ and adjacent CEP thickness heterogeneity (coefficient of variation) had a significant negative correlation (r = -0.65, p = 0.04). The standard deviation of T1ρand the mean CEP thickness showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.40, p = 0.26). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that quantitative measurements of CEP thickness measured from UTE MRI are associated with disc degeneration. Our results suggest that variability in CEP thickness and T1ρ, rather than their mean values, may serve as valuable diagnostic markers for disc degeneration. Level of evidence: N/A.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Does control of rheumatic disease raise the standard of living in developing countries?
    (2009) Wigley, R.; Chopra, A.; Wigley, S.; Akkoyunlu-Wigley, A.
    [No abstract available]
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    Reliability and validity of the pain anxiety symptom scale in Persian speaking chronic low back pain patients
    (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2017) Shanbehzadeh, S.; Salavati, M.; Tavahomi, M.; Khatibi, A.; Talebian, S.; Kalantari K. K.
    Study Design. Psychometric testing of the Persian version of Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale 20. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the PASS-20 in nonspecific chronic low back pain (LBP) patients. Summary of Background Data. The PASS-20 is a self-report questionnaire that assesses pain-related anxiety. The Psychometric properties of this instrument have not been assessed in Persian-speaking chronic LBP patients. Methods. One hundred and sixty participants with chronic LBP completed the Persian version of PASS-20, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), trait form of the State-Trait Anxiety (STAI-T), Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index (ODI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). To evaluate test-retest reliability, 60 patients filled out the PASS-20, 6 to 8 days after the first visit. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], standard error of measurement [SEM], and minimal detectable change [MDC]), internal consistency, dimensionality, and construct validity were examined. Results. The ICCs of the PASS-20 subscales and total score ranged from 0.71 to 0.8. The SEMs for PASS-20 total score was 7.29 and for the subscales ranged from 2.43 to 2.98. The MDC for the total score was 20.14 and for the subscales ranged from 6.71 to 8.23. The Cronbach alpha values for the subscales and total score ranged from 0.70 to 0.91. Significant positive correlations were found between the PASS-20 total score and PCS, TSK, FABQ, ODI, BDI, STAI-T, and pain intensity. Conclusion. The Persian version of the PASS-20 showed acceptable psychometric properties for the assessment of pain-related anxiety in Persian-speaking patients with chronic LBP. © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.