Reliability of T2-weighted signal intensity-based quantitative measurements and visual grading of lumbar disc degeneration on MRI.

Background: Decrease in signal intensity (SI) of the nucleus pulposus (NP) on T2-weighted (T2W) images, a sign of disc degeneration (DD), is usually graded based on an observer's image interpretation. No gold standard for quantitative assessment of NP SI exists to date.

Purpose: To compare different quantitative methods and visual gradings of lumbar DD and to evaluate the ability of the quantitative methods to differentiate DD grades.

White Matter Hyperintensities after Five-Year Follow-Up and a Cross-Sectional FA Decrease in Bipolar I and Major Depressive Patients.

Introduction: An increase in brain white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and a decrease in white matter fractional anisotrophy (FA) have been detected in bipolar I (BPI), II (BPII), and major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. Their relationship, and differences in diagnostic groups are obscure. Longitudinal studies are rare.

Disc Degeneration of Young Low Back Pain Patients: A Prospective 30-year Follow-up MRI Study.

Study Design: A prospective follow-up study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether early lumbar disc degeneration (DD) in young low back pain (LBP) patients predicts progression of degenerative changes, pain, or disability in a 30-year follow-up.

Summary Of Background Data: MRI is an accurate method for studying degenerative changes in intervertebral discs.

Chronic low back pain in relation to Modic changes, bony endplate lesions, and disc degeneration in a prospective MRI study.

Purpose: To clarify the significance of Modic changes, bony endplate lesions, and disc degeneration as predictors of chronic low back pain (LBP) during 1-year follow-up.

Methods: 49 patients with severe, non-specific, chronic LBP, and Modic 1 lesion (M1) were prospectively studied with MRI and questionnaire. Changes in grade of disc degeneration, severity of Modic changes, Schmorl lesions, and bony endplate irregularities were evaluated and changes assessed in LBP intensity on numeric rating scale 0-10 and severity with Oswestry disability index 0-100 (ODI).

[Update on Current Care Guideline: Low back pain].

Classification to severe diseases, sciatic symptoms or non-specific back pain is recommended. Radiography in acute or subacute non-specific back pain is not recommended in the primary health care. In specialized care magnetic resonance imaging is the main imaging modality.

Association between changes in lumbar Modic changes and low back symptoms over a two-year period.

Background: The association of Modic changes (MC) with low back pain (LBP) is unclear. The purpose of our study was to investigate the associations between the extent of Type 1 (M1) and Type 2 (M2) MC and low back symptoms over a two-year period.

Methods: The subjects (n = 64, mean age 43.

Genetic influences on hand osteoarthritis in Finnish women--a replication study of candidate genes.

Objectives: Our aims were to replicate some previously reported associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five genes (A2BP1, COG5, GDF5, HFE, ESR1) with hand osteoarthritis (OA), and to examine whether genes (BCAP29, DIO2, DUS4L, DVWA, HLA, PTGS2, PARD3B, TGFB1 and TRIB1) associated with OA at other joint sites were associated with hand OA among Finnish women.

Design: We examined the bilateral hand radiographs of 542 occupationally active Finnish female dentists and teachers aged 45 to 63 and classified them according to the presence of OA by using reference images. Data regarding finger joint pain and other risk factors were collected using a questionnaire.

The relations of obesity indicators and early metabolic disturbance with upper extremity pain.

Objectives: To determine whether signs of metabolic disturbance and especially visceral obesity are associated with upper extremity pain.

Design: Cohort study.

Subjects: One hundred and seventy-seven workers (154 women, 23 men; age 20-64 years, mean 45) seeking medical advice in the occupational health service for incipient upper extremity disorders were included.

Modic type I change may predict rapid progressive, deforming disc degeneration: a prospective 1-year follow-up study.

Introduction: This prospective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in chronic low-back pain (CLBP) patients evaluated the natural course of degenerative lumbar spine changes in relation to Modic 1 type changes (M1) within 1 year.

Materials And Methods: From 3,811 consecutive CLBP patients referred to lumbar spine MRI 54 patients with a large M1 were selected using strict exclusion criteria to exclude specific back disorders. Follow-up MRI was obtained within 11-18 months.

Correlation of size and type of modic types 1 and 2 lesions with clinical symptoms: a descriptive study in a subgroup of patients with chronic low back pain on the basis of a university hospital patient sample.

Study Design: Intensity of pain and level of disability (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]) were compared with the relative size of Modic type 1 (M1) and Modic type 2 (M2) lesions. Clinical symptoms of patients having mixed M1-M2 lesion (n = 49) were compared with patients having a "pure" M1 lesion (n = 13).

Objective: To determine the relation of the sizes of M1 and M2 lesions and the type of Modic lesion (mixed M1-M2 or pure M1 lesion) with intensity of low back pain and level of perceived disability.

Modic changes and interleukin 1 gene locus polymorphisms in occupational cohort of middle-aged men.

According to recent systematic reviews, Modic changes are associated with low-back pain. However, their pathophysiology remains largely unknown. A previous study of Northern Finnish males implicated that IL1A and MMP3 polymorphisms play a role in type II Modic changes.

Association between interleukin 1 gene cluster polymorphisms and bilateral distal interphalangeal osteoarthritis.

Objective: To examine the association of the interleukin 1 gene (IL1) cluster polymorphisms and their haplotypes with bilateral distal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis (DIP OA).

Methods: Radiographs of both hands of 295 dentists and 248 teachers were examined and classified for the presence of OA using reference images. Bilateral DIP OA was defined by the presence of radiographic findings of grade 2 or more in at least 1 symmetrical pair of the DIP joints.

Major depressive disorder and white matter abnormalities: a diffusion tensor imaging study with tract-based spatial statistics.

Background: A few diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have shown abnormalities in areas of white matter tracts involved in mood regulation in geriatric depressive patients, using a region-of-interest technique. A voxel-based morphometry DTI study of young depressive patients reported similar results. In this study, we explored the structure of the white matter of the whole brain with DTI in middle-aged major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, using novel tract-based spatial statistics.

Relationship of Modic type 1 change with disc degeneration: a prospective MRI study.

Objective: The objective was to study the natural course of Modic type 1 change (M1) in relation to lumbar disc degeneration.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four chronic low back pain (LBP) patients with M1 on lumbar spine were selected from 1,015 patients with magnetic resonance imaging from a follow-up study lasting for 18-74 months. Exclusion criteria were any other specific back disorder, age >or=60 years, or a recent spine operation.

MRI follow-up of subchondral signal abnormalities in a selected group of chronic low back pain patients.

Subchondral signal abnormalities have been suggested to play an important role in chronic low back pain (LBP) syndromes. Their natural course is not well known. In this study the morphology and natural course of isolated subchondral signal abnormalities in the lumbosacral spine were analyzed with MRI.

Common interleukin-6 promoter variants associate with the more severe forms of distal interphalangeal osteoarthritis.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of the IL-6 promoter variants G-597A, G-572C and G-174C (rs1800797, rs1800796 and rs1800795, respectively), which have been shown to affect both the transcription and secretion of IL-6, to symptomatic distal interphalangeal (DIP) osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: A total of 535 women aged 45 to 63 years were included. Radiographs of both hands were taken and each DIP joint was evaluated (grade 0 to 4) for the presence of OA.

Association between the aggrecan gene variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism and intervertebral disc degeneration.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: To examine the association between an aggrecan variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism and intervertebral disc degeneration in middle-aged Finnish men.

Summary Of Background Data: An association between the aggrecan VNTR polymorphism and multilevel disc degeneration has been previously reported in young Japanese women.

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of hand osteoarthritis in Finnish women.

We examined whether polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene was associated with individual risk of hand osteoarthritis (OA). Radiographs of both hands of 295 dentists and of 248 teachers were examined and classified for the presence of OA using reference images. The VDR ApaI and TaqI genotypes were determined by PCR-based methods.

Intervertebral disc degeneration in relation to the COL9A3 and the IL-1ss gene polymorphisms.

Disc degeneration is a complex condition in which environmental factors and multiple genes are expected to act together to determine the degenerative phenotype. Recently associations of COL9A2 (Trp2 allele) and COL9A3 (Trp3 allele) polymorphisms with lumbar disc disease characterized by sciatica have been reported. However, it is not known whether the Trp2 or Trp3 alleles contribute to disc degeneration (DD).

Liver echogenicity: relation to systemic blood pressure and other components of the metabolic syndrome.

We studied the impact of liver echogenicity among other potential predictors of systemic blood pressure (BP) and the metabolic syndrome. 38 persons (32 males, six females, aged 29 to 66) had their liver echogenicities scored, BPs measured and standard serum laboratory tests studied. There was a significant correlation between both systolic (r=0.

Hand workload and the metacarpal cortical index. a study of middle-aged teachers and dentists.

We studied load-related predictors (handedness, occupation and workload history) of cortical bone mass as estimated by the metacarpal cortical index (MCI). After being randomly selected from trade-union registers, 295 female dentists and 248 teachers, aged 45-63 years (mean 54 years), participated in the study. The MCI was defined from the second metacarpal of both hands by analogue radiographs.

Interleukin 1 polymorphisms and intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: Enzymatic breakdown of the extracellular matrix, and possibly local inflammation, contributes to intervertebral disc degeneration. We investigated whether polymorphisms within the IL-1 gene locus are associated with lumbar disc degeneration and whether the effect of occupational physical load on disc degeneration is modified by the polymorphisms.

Methods: Genotypes were determined from 133 middle-aged men who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine.

Liver echogenicity: measurement or visual grading?

Objective: Two methods to assess liver echogenicity were compared.

Methods: Liver/kidney echogenicity ratio was measured in 41 persons with the ultrasound software and visually graded by two radiologists and a radiographer. These echogenicity ratios and grades were related to risk factors for fatty liver and to liver enzyme levels.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebra: relation to disc degeneration and low back pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) study. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relation of the lumbosacral transitional vertebra to signs of disc degeneration in MRI and to low back pain (LBP).

Summary Of Background Data: An association between the transitional vertebra and herniation in the disc above has been found in patients with LBP, but knowledge of the relation to other degenerative disc changes detected in MRI and to LBP is lacking.