To investigate the association between vertebral endplate signal changes (VESC) and low back pain (LBP). This prospective observational study included 344 persons (161 men and 183 women) sampled from the Danish general population. All participants had an MRI and filled in questionnaires at the age of 40 and again at the age of 44. The following LBP outcomes were used: “LBP past month,” “LBP past year,” and “non-trivial LBP”. The type and size of VESC at each endplate level were evaluated using a standardized evaluation protocol. Associations between VESC and LBP were investigated using logistic regression analysis.Purpose
Methods and materials
By systematic literature review, to quantify the association between vertebral endplate signal changes (VESC) and non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SveMED databases were searched for the period 1984 to June 2009. Articles were included which investigated the association between VESC and NSLBP and reported sufficient data to construct two-by-two tables. Articles on specific low back pain conditions were excluded. A standardised data collection and quality assessment were performed. To estimate the association between VESC and NSLBP, two-by-two tables were created and exact odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analysis was performed on homogeneous studies.Purpose
Materials and methods
