ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2020
Is intrinsic lumbar spine shape associated with lumbar disc degeneration? An exploratory study.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Application of Statistical Shape Models to Standard Lumbar MRI for Stenosis Treatment Stratification: Severe Versus Normal Stenosis.JOR spine · 2026Article
- Spinal phenotypes on MRI and X-ray alone cannot predict short-term progression of lumbar disc degeneration.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Article
- Correlation analysis of spine-pelvis parameters and age with lumbar paravertebral muscle degeneration in middle age and older adults.American journal of translational research · 2025Article
- Adolescent-onset Local Kyphosis with Anterior Column Hypoplasia and Subluxation of the Facet Joints of the Lumbar Spine: A Case Report.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2022Article
- Statistical morphological analysis reveals characteristic paraspinal muscle asymmetry in unilateral lumbar disc herniation.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Glycine-Serine-Threonine Metabolic Axis Delays Intervertebral Disc Degeneration through Antioxidant Effects: An Imaging and Metabonomics Study.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is a condition associated with recurrent low back pain (LBP). Knowledge regarding effective management is limited. As a step towards the identification of risk, prognostic or potentially modifiable factors in LDD patients, the aim of this study was to explore the hypothesis that intrinsic lumbar spine shape is associated with LDD and clinical outcomes in symptomatic adults.
methods3 T MRI was used to acquire T2-weighted sagittal images (L1-S1) from 70 healthy controls and LDD patients (mean age 49 years, SD 11, range 31-71 years). Statistical Shape Modelling (SSM) was used to describe lumbar spine shape. SSM identified variations in lumbar shape as 'modes' of variation and quantified deviation from the mean. Intrinsic shape differences were determined between LDD groups using analysis of variance with post-hoc comparisons. The relationship between intrinsic shape and self-reported function, mental health and quality of life were also examined.
resultsThe first 7 modes of variation explained 91% of variance in lumbar shape. Higher LDD sum scores correlated with a larger lumbar lordosis (Mode 1 (55% variance), P = 0.02), even lumbar curve distribution (Mode 2 (12% variance), P = 0.05), larger anterior-posterior (A-P) vertebral diameter (Mode 3 (10% variance), P = 0.007) and smaller L4-S1 disc spaces (Mode 7 (2% variance), P ≤ 0.001). In the presence of recurrent LBP, LDD was associated with a larger A-P vertebral diameter (Mode 3) and a more even lumbar curvature with smaller L5/S1 disc spaces (Mode 4), which was significantly associated with patient quality of life (P = 0.002-0.04, r
conclusionsThis exploratory study provides new evidence that intrinsic shape phenotypes are associated with LDD and quality of life in patients. Longitudinal studies are required to establish the potential role of these risk or prognostic shape phenotypes.
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