Comprehensive Grading System of Inflammatory Features of the Lumbar Facet Joints on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

ABSTRACT:

Study design

Retrospective.

Objective

We aimed to describe a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based grading system of inflammatory features of the lumbar facet joints using an atlas and assess its reliability.

Summary of background data

Chronic low back pain is often caused by facet joint arthropathy. Inflammatory features are often evident on MRI. While several grading systems of facet arthropathy have been described, there is scant data on the reliability of these systems, and none focus exclusively on inflammatory features.

Materials and methods

We describe a grading system that assesses facet joint effusion, bone marrow edema, and soft tissue edema. Each feature was graded from 0 to 3 (facet edema) or 0 to 2 (bone marrow edema intensity and extent, soft tis

SUBMITTER: Acosta JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10922347 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature