A Correlation between MRI findings in current and future Disc Herniation Grade 1- Amongst Low Back Pain Patients

Abstract

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure used to assess the effects of a herniated disc. There is a hypothesis that there might be a correlation between MRI findings at baseline and follow-up to determine whether there is an ability to predict future progress in LBP among LBP patients with non- or mild disc prolapse (grade 1-disc herniation) with the help of MRI findings.

Method: This study consisted of a total of 70 patients, all of whom gave their informed consent to participate in the study. Using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), patients were asked to rate how intense the back pain was and to complete the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire for an assessment of their disability. For all patients, the spine was assessed by MRI scan. Within 1.5 years of baseline MRI scan, 39 volunteers were repeat MRI scan for LBP patients.

Result: In this study, we found that age, VAS, disability index, and disc herniation were weakly correlated. Pain and disability also had a weak relation with Grade 1 (r=0.11, r=0.04). In addition, Our longitudinal study found that most of the MRI findings did not seem to be linked to future LBP - severity, whether the participant experienced LBP in the past or not (r= 0.07, p=0.8).

Conclusion: it was discovered that MRI scans in both ongoing and forthcoming studies do not exhibit a statistically noteworthy association with the magnitude and position of lumbar disc herniation, pain, and disability.