| 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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 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 | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 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 |