ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2018
Factors associated with lumbar disc high-intensity zone (HIZ) on T2-weighted magnetic resonance image: a retrospective study of 3185 discs in 637 patients.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- The correlation between the lumbar disc MRI high-intensity zone and discogenic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Pooled it
- LncRNA MIR100HG induces degenerative changes in intervertebral disc degeneration nucleus pulposus cells by targeting miR-31-5p.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- THE EFFECT OD EPIDUROLYSIS IN TREATMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN - AN EVIDENCE BASED REVIEW.Acta clinica Croatica · 2023Review
- Longitudinal assessment of annular fissures of the cervical spine: overlooked and static.North American Spine Society journal · 2023Article
- Epidemiology of Lumbar Degenerative Phenotypes of Children and Adolescents: A Large-Scale Imaging Study.Global spine journal · 2023Article
- High-Intensity Zones on MRI of the Cervical Spine in Patients: Epidemiology and Association With Pain and Disability.Global spine journal · 2022Article
- Intradiscal Injection with Condoliase (Chondroitin Sulfate ABC Endolyase) for Painful Radiculopathy Caused by Lumbar Disc Herniation.Spine surgery and related research · 2022Article
- Predictors of discogenic pain in magnetic resonance imaging: a retrospective study of provocative discography performed by posterolateral approach.The Korean journal of pain · 2021Article
- Full-endoscopic Spine Surgery for Discogenic Low Back Pain with High-intensity Zones and Modic Type 1 Change in a Professional Baseball Player.NMC case report journal · 2021Article
- Imaging Analysis of the High-Intensity Zone on Lumbar Spine Magnetic Resonance Images: Classification, Features and Correlation with Low Back Pain.Journal of pain research · 2021Article
- Magnetic resonance imaging findings of the lumbar spine, back symptoms and physical function among male adult patients with Scheuermann's disease.Journal of orthopaedicsArticle
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIt is well known that internal disc disruption (IDD) is accelerated by factors such as aging and injury. High- intensity zone (HIZ) on lumbar MRI is usually considered a marker of painful IDD. However, many painful IDD show no HIZ. This suggests that the risk factors of HIZ may be different to these of IDD. The purpose was to clarify the correlation between the HIZ on lumbar MR and the factors, including gender, age, body weight, and low back pain (LBP).
methodsCharacteristics were obtained from the medical record. The MR images, biplanar post-discography radiographs, and post-discography CT images were reviewed and rated by two experienced radiologists in a blinded fashion.
resultsAnnular HIZ correlated significantly with age (OR = 1.011), body weight (OR = 1.022), and LBP symptom (OR = 1.527). The lowest two HIZ prevalence rates were in the second and the third decades (11.54% and 7.84%). The highest prevalence was in the sixth decade (38.03%). The body weight was positively associated with the HIZ prevalence. There was a significant difference in HIZ prevalence between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (36.16% vs. 26.96%, P < 0.05). All the HIZ discs exhibited grade 3 or grade 4 disruptions, but only 9 discs (9/16, 8 exhibited grade 4 annular tears) were detected with exact pain reproduction.
conclusionsIt is demonstrated that the presence of HIZ on lumbar MR image was associated with aging, high body weight, and low back pain symptom. HIZ sign indicated a part of the natural history of disc degeneration but was not an actual source of low back pain.
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