Disc deformation as a potential biomarker of nonspecific low back pain.

ABSTRACT: Nonspecific low back pain (nLBP) lacks clear biomarkers, making diagnosis challenging. The disorder is commonly associated with annular fissures, which are hypothesized to trigger nerve endings to signal pain during disc deformation. Although symptoms worsen with load, MRI is typically performed in a relaxed state. Herein, a novel loading-based MRI method for non-invasive quantification of disc deformation was applied on 76 discs from 28 nLBP-patients to determine whether specific deformation patterns reflect fissures and pain using computer tomography and low-pressure discography during the same day as references. Discs without fissures and those with posterior fissures only displayed compression of annulus fibrosus posteriorly and expansion anteriorly, while discs with fissures both ante

SUBMITTER: Lagerstrand KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12322096 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature