An understanding of the patterns of healthcare services used after MRI of the spine in general practice would provide information about how MRI scans are used in primary care. To describe the healthcare use of patients referred for lumbar MRI in general practice, and to investigate the association between specific patient characteristics, back pain characteristics and MRI abnormalities with subsequent specialist consultation.Background
Aim
The majority of adults will experience an episode of low back pain during their life. Patients with non-specific low back pain and lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) may experience spinal pain and morning stiffness because of a comparable inflammatory process as in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip. Therefore, this study assessed the association between spinal morning stiffness, LDD and systemic inflammation in middle aged and elderly patients with low back pain. This cross-sectional study used the baseline data of the BACE study, including patients aged ≥55 years visiting a general practitioner with a new episode of back pain. The association between spinal morning stiffness, the radiographic features of lumbar disc degeneration and systemic inflammation measured with serum C-reactive protein was assessed with multivariable logistic regression models.Background
Methods
