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Published in: Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

The correlation between the high-intensity zone on a T2-weighted MRI and positive outcomes of discography: a meta-analysis

Authors: Chunyang Fang, Wenbin Zhang, Liqiu Chen, Hongjie Li

Published in: Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

This meta-analysis aimed to assess the correlation between the high-intensity zone (HIZ) of a lumbar MRI and discography.

Methods

We conducted an electronic search of the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and ScienceDirect databases from their respective inceptions to October 2016 using the following search terms: “low back pain,” “discogenic low back pain,” “HIZ or high-intensity zone,” and “discography”. Relevant journals and conference proceedings were manually searched. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the studies, extracted data from the included studies, and analyzed the data.

Results

Eleven studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that outstanding relativity and statistically significant correlations were observed between the HIZ and abnormal disc morphology (OR = 47.79; 95% CI: 17.07 to 133.77; P < 0.00001), HIZ and pain reproduction (OR = 8.65, 95% CI: 6.01 to 15.23, P < 0.00001), and HIZ and abnormal morphology pain reproduction (OR = 11.74, 95% CI: 1.99 to 69.36, P = 0.007).

Conclusions

The presence of an HIZ on a lumbar MRI T2-weighted image indicates abnormal disc morphology. There is a strong relationship between the HIZ and pain reproduction. The HIZ can be an effective index for prediction of discogenic low back pain.
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Metadata
Title
The correlation between the high-intensity zone on a T2-weighted MRI and positive outcomes of discography: a meta-analysis
Authors
Chunyang Fang
Wenbin Zhang
Liqiu Chen
Hongjie Li
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1749-799X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-017-0523-1

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