Association Between Clinical Signs and MRI Findings of the Lumbar Facet Joints

Christoph Maier, Prof. Dr.

Status: Completed

Conditions: Facet Joint Pain; Low Back Pain

Treatments: Other: MRI of the lumbar spine; Other: manual segmental examination of the lumbar facet joints

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01628939

FacetJointEdema2009

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine

1. the prevalence of lumbar facet joint pain detected by manual segmental provocation tests
2. the prevalence of MRI findings of the lumbar facet joints (hypertrophy, effusion, edema)
3. the association of lumbar facet joint pain and MRI findings on a segmental level

in subjects with current low back pain and in a control group.

Enrollment: 150 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for both study groups:

• age > 18
• written informed consent
• ability to perform required examinations

Inclusion Criterion for current low back pain-group:

• more than (>=) 30 days of low back pain in the last three months

Inclusion Criterion for control group:

• less than 30 days of low back pain in the last three months

Exclusion Criteria for both study groups:

• acute radicular low back pain in the last three months
• claustrophobia
• spondylodesis of the lumbar spine
• any metallic implants which are not MRI-compatible

Trial design

150 participants in 2 patient groups

current low back pain

Description:

subjects with current low back pain (i.e. more than 30 days of low back pain in the last three months)

Treatment:

Other: manual segmental examination of the lumbar facet joints

Other: MRI of the lumbar spine

controls

Description:

subjects with less than 30 days of low back pain in the last three months

Treatment:

Other: manual segmental examination of the lumbar facet joints

Other: MRI of the lumbar spine