Observational study

The purpose of this observational study was to understand the quantitative assessment of the degree of degeneration of lumbar facet joints, and to improve the Weishaupt grading system by using gray-scale curve fitting and imaging parameters.

The main questions it aims to answer are: How to realize quantitative analysis of lumbar facet joint degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain with MRI?

The MRI information of patients with different grades of articular process joint degeneration has been statistically summarized in nearly 5 years

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) Age range from 20 to 80 years old; (2) Persisted chronic low back pain (CLBP) more than 12 weeks; (3) Complete preoperative X-ray and 1.5T MRI examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) Scoliosis, Cobb angle>20°; (2) Lack of preoperative X-ray or MRI examination; (3) 3.0T MRI; (4) The interval between preoperative X-ray and MRI examinations is more than one month; (5) Previous lumbar spine internal fixation surgery; (6) Lumbar spondylolisthesis > 5 mm, with severe dislocation of facet joints; (7) Intravertebral bone cement implantation; (8) Severe spinal joint disease (e.g. mandatory spondylitis); (9) Spinal tumors; (10) The maximum extension depth of Modic changes (MC) relative to vertebral body height was greater than 25%.

Patients who underwent imaging examination in Shanghai Changzheng Hospital from September 2020 to July 2024 to evaluate lumbar joint degeneration were included.

As the data involves the personal privacy of patients in our hospital, it is considered not to be published as public data. You can apply with the person in charge of this study for reasonable demands.