Lumbar spine: reliability of MR imaging findings.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To characterize the inter- and intraobserver variability of qualitative, non-disk contour degenerative findings of the lumbar spine at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials and methods

The case accrual method used to perform this institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective study was the random selection of 111 interpretable MR examination cases of subjects from the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial. The subjects were aged 18-87 years (mean, 53 years +/- 16 [standard deviation]). Four independent readers rated the cases according to defined criteria. A subsample of 40 MR examination cases was selected for reevaluation at least 1 month later. The following findings were assessed: spondylolisthesis, disk degeneration, marrow endplate abno

SUBMITTER: Carrino JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2657480 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature