| |
Back + leg pain (0–60)
|
Back pain (0–30)
|
Leg pain (0–30)
|
|---|
|
(N = 134)
|
(N = 135)
|
(N = 137)
|
|---|
|
MRI variable
|
n (%)
|
β
|
(95 % CI)
|
p
|
β
|
(95 % CI)
|
p
|
β
|
(95 % CI)
|
p
|
|---|
|
Nucleus signal change
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Max score
| | | |
0.352*
| | |
0.137*
| | |
0.772*
|
|
Hyperintense
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
with band
|
18 (13)
|
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
|
Intermediate
|
119 (84)
|
1.21
|
(−4.96, 7.38)
|
0.699
|
−0.05
|
(−3.28, 3.18)
|
0.975
|
0.99
|
(−3.28, 5.27)
|
0.646
|
|
Hypointense
|
4 (3)
|
9.63
|
(−3.67, 22.9)
|
0.154
|
6.39
|
(−0.58, 13.4)
|
0.072
|
3.24
|
(−5.98, 12.5)
|
0.488
|
|
Sum score (ref. with band)
| |
−0.23
|
(−1.53, 1.07)
|
0.724
|
0.24
|
(−0.45, 0.93)
|
0.490
|
−0.43
|
(−1.32, 0.45)
|
0.336
|
|
Present ( − )
|
123 (87)
|
1.44
|
(−4.74, 7.62)
|
0.645
|
0.12
|
(−3.14, 3.39)
|
0.941
|
1.05
|
(−3.20, 5.31)
|
0.625
|
|
Osteophytes
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Absent
|
45 (32)
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Sum score (ref. absent)
| |
0.65
|
(−0.31, 1.61)
|
0.184
|
0.22
|
(−0.28, 0.73)
|
0.382
|
0.38
|
(−0.26, 1.03)
|
0.242
|
|
Present ( − )
|
96 (68)
|
1.55
|
(−3.15, 6.25)
|
0.469
|
−0.22
|
(−2.69, 2.25)
|
0.859
|
2.05
|
(−1.14, 5.25)
|
0.207
|
|
Disc height reduction
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Max score
| | | |
0.250*
| | |
0.631*
| | |
0.115*
|
|
Absent
|
28 (20)
|
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
|
Slight
|
40 (28)
|
5.06
|
(−0.85, 11.0)
|
0.093
|
0.98
|
(−2.15, 4.11)
|
0.536
|
3.97
|
(−0.06, 8.02)
|
0.054
|
|
Moderate
|
63 (45)
|
1.89
|
(−3.73, 7.52)
|
0.507
|
−0.77
|
(−3.76, 2.32)
|
0.614
|
2.18
|
(−1.65, 6.00)
|
0.263
|
|
Severe
|
10 (7)
|
6.81
|
(−2.52, 16.1)
|
0.151
|
0.15
|
(−4.82, 5.13)
|
0.951
|
6.64
|
(0.25, 13.0)
|
0.042
|
|
Sum score (ref. absent)
| |
0.36
|
(−0.57, 1.29)
|
0.447
|
0.08
|
(−0.42, 0.57)
|
0.757
|
0.24
|
(−0.39, 0.88)
|
0.453
|
|
Present ( − )
|
113 (80)
|
3.53
|
(−1.63, 8.70)
|
0.178
|
0.02
|
(−2.72, 2.76)
|
0.987
|
3.21
|
(−0.33, 6.74)
|
0.075
|
|
High Intensity Zone
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Absent
|
42 (30)
| | | | | | | | | |
|
Sum score (ref. absent)
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Present ( − )
|
99 (70)
|
−0.05
|
(−2.40, 2.30)
|
0.969
|
−0.41
|
(−1.65, 0.83)
|
0.513
|
0.41
|
(−1.20, 2.00)
|
0.617
|
|
2.74
|
(−1.83, 7.31)
|
0.238
|
−0.66
|
(−3.07, 1.76)
|
0.593
|
3.53
|
(0.46, 6.60)
|
0.025
|
|
Protrusion/ herniation
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Max score
| | | |
0.548*
| | |
0.154*
| | |
0.032*
|
|
Absent
|
15 (11)
|
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
|
Bulging
|
23 (16)
|
−1.94
|
(−10.3, 6.31)
|
0.637
|
0.12
|
(−4.19, 4.43)
|
0.956
|
−2.55
|
(−8.03, 2.94)
|
0.360
|
|
Protrusion
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Broad
|
7 (5)
|
−2.55
|
(−13.5, 8.42)
|
0.646
|
0.09
|
(−5.61, 5.79)
|
0.976
|
−2.63
|
(−9.51, 4.70)
|
0.479
|
|
Focal
|
48 (34)
|
2.77
|
(−4.49, 10.0)
|
0.452
|
1.48
|
(−2.29, 5.25)
|
0.439
|
1.29
|
(−3.56, 6.13)
|
0.600
|
|
Extrusion
|
40 (28)
|
1.28
|
(−6.37, 8.94)
|
0.740
|
−2.41
|
(−6.37, 1.54)
|
0.229
|
3.21
|
(−1.87, 8.29)
|
0.214
|
|
Sequestration
|
8 (6)
|
6.18
|
(−5.35, 17.7)
|
0.291
|
−1.49
|
(−7.48, 4.50)
|
0.624
|
7.65
|
(−0.05, 15.3)
|
0.051
|
|
Sum score (ref. absent)
| |
0.03
|
(−0.82, 0.86)
|
0.939
|
−0.24
|
(−0.69, 0.21)
|
0.290
|
0.29
|
(−0.29, 0.86)
|
0.328
|
|
Present (−)
|
126 (89)
|
1.78
|
(−5.61, 7.97)
|
0.732
|
−0.05
|
(−3.63, 3.54)
|
0.979
|
0.97
|
(−3.70, 5.65)
|
0.681
|
|
MRI nerve root signa
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Max score
| | | |
0.688*
| | |
0.023*
| | |
0.104*
|
|
No touch
|
52 (37)
|
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
|
Touch
|
31 (22)
|
2.95
|
(−2.59, 8.49)
|
0.294
|
1.79
|
(−1.05, 4.62)
|
0.214
|
1.42
|
(−2.31, 5.16)
|
0.452
|
|
Displacement
|
37 (26)
|
2.59
|
(−2.87, 8.05)
|
0.349
|
−0.98
|
(−3.77, 1.82)
|
0.490
|
3.45
|
(−0.19, 7.08)
|
0.063
|
|
Compression
|
21 (15)
|
1.02
|
(−5.80, 7.84)
|
0.769
|
−3.90
|
(−7.30, −0.49)
|
0.025
|
5.09
|
(0.55, 9.62)
|
0.028
|
|
Sum score (ref. no touch)
| |
0.20
|
(−1.46, 1.86)
|
0.813
|
−0.82
|
(−1.67, 0.04)
|
0.062
|
0.90
|
(−0.20, 2.00)
|
0.109
|
|
Present (−)
|
89 (73)
|
2.43
|
(−1.97, 6.83)
|
0.276
|
−0.49
|
(−2.81, 1.84)
|
0.679
|
2.97
|
(0.00, 5.94)
|
0.050
|
|
Spinal stenosis
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Max score
| | | |
0.587*
| | |
0.426*
| | |
0.894*
|
|
Absent
|
123 (87)
|
ref.
| | | | | | | | |
|
Relative
|
14 (10)
|
3.81
|
(−3.48, 11.1)
|
0.303
|
2.44
|
(−1.41, 6.28)
|
0.212
|
0.51
|
(−4.35, 5.38)
|
0.768
|
|
Severe
|
4 (3)
|
1.11
|
(−11.4, 13.6)
|
0.861
|
−0.74
|
(−7.34, 5.86)
|
0.825
|
1.95
|
(−6.70, 10.6)
|
0.657
|
|
Sum score (ref. absent)
| |
1.24
|
(−1.63, 4.11)
|
0.393
|
0.45
|
(−1.06, 1.97)
|
0.554
|
0.52
|
(−1.41, 2.45)
|
0.594
|
|
Present (−)
|
18 (13)
|
1.90
|
(−3.12, 6.92)
|
0.455
|
0.79
|
(−1.86, 3.44)
|
0.556
|
0.78
|
(−2.63, 4.18)
|
0.653
|
|
Modic changes
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Type
| | | |
0.242*
| | |
0.109*
| | |
0.708*
|
|
Absent
|
57 (40)
|
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
ref.
| | |
|
Type 1
|
25 (18)
|
0.72
|
(−5.29, 6.73)
|
0.813
|
1.52
|
(−1.63, 4.66)
|
0.341
|
−0.96
|
(−5.08, 3.16)
|
0.609
|
|
Type 2
|
59 (42)
|
−3.54
|
(−8.47, 1.39)
|
0.157
|
−1.73
|
(−4.30, 0.85)
|
0.187
|
−1.42
|
(−4.83, 1.99)
|
0.412
|
|
Sum score (ref. abs.)
| |
0.13
|
(−0.51, 0.77)
|
0.689
|
0.08
|
(−0.26, 0.42)
|
0.642
|
0.05
|
(−0.39, 0.49)
|
0.812
|
|
Present (ref. abs.)
|
84 (60)
|
−2.12
|
(−6.65, 2.41)
|
0.356
|
−0.64
|
(−3.03, 1.74)
|
0.594
|
−1.26
|
(−4.37, 1.84)
|
0.464
|
-
β regression coefficient; CI confidence interval; ref reference. P-values less than 0.05 indicated by Italics
- Back + leg pain, back pain and leg pain were dependent variables. The degenerative manifestations were described blinded and standardised and expressed as ‘max scores’, ‘sum scores’ and ‘present vs. not present’. A ‘max score’ shows the number of patients with the manifestation indicated as the worst manifestation. The distribution of degenerative manifestations across the lumbar segments has been published elsewhere [6]
- The numbers in subgroups not adjusted for missing values
- *Overall p by Wald’s test
-
aThe highest adj. R2 = 0.10 (back pain intensity), all other < 0.10
