ArticleJOR spine2023
MRI-based degeneration grades for lumbar facet joints do not correlate with cartilage mechanics.
Article in JOR spine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- O-GlcNAc transferase influences the progression of degenerative cartilage disease in lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis through FoxO1 and EGR1.Cell death discovery · 2025Article
- Automated magnetic resonance imaging-based grading of the lumbar intervertebral disc and facet joints.JOR spine · 2024Article
- MRI-based degeneration grades for lumbar facet joints do not correlate with cartilage mechanics.JOR spine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Lumbar facet joint arthritis is characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage, loss of joint spacing, and increased boney spur formation. These signs of facet joint degeneration have been previously measured using destructive biochemical and mechanical analysis. Nondestructive clinical evaluation of the facet joint has also been performed using MRI scoring, which ranks the health of the facet joint using the Fujiwara scale. However, nondestructive clinical evaluation of facet joint arthritis using standard MRI scoring provides low resolution images which result in high interobserver variability. Therefore, to assess the accuracy of nondestructive MRI analysis with regard to the health of the facet joint, this study determined whether any correlations existed between lumbar facet joint articular cartilage mechanics, facet articular cartilage biochemical signatures, and Fujiwara scores. Materials and Method: To accomplish this aim, human cadaveric lumbar spines were obtained and imaged using T1 MRI, then independently scored by three spine researchers. An osteochondral plug from each of the L2 thru L5 facet joints was obtained and loaded under unconfined compression. Results: The experiments showed no trends between histological images and changes in the Fujiwara score. The mechanical properties of articular cartilage (thickness, Young's modulus, instantaneous modulus, and permeability) also had no correlations with the Fujiwara score. Conclusions: These results show that the current Fujiwara score cannot accurately describe the biomechanics or biochemical composition of facet joint articular cartilage.
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Registered trials
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