Relationship between Endplate Defects, Modic Change, Disc Degeneration, and Facet Joint Degeneration in Patients with Low Back Pain

<p>Evaluation of facet tropism and facet orientation. The facet joint angles relative to the sagittal plane were <i>α</i>L and <i>α</i>R. (a) Facet joint tropism = <span class="nowrap"><svg height="11.439pt" id="M1" style="vertical-align:-2.15067pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 50.5112 11.439" width="50.5112pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M162 -163V703H101V-163H162Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,3.419,0)"><path d="M545 106L524 126C493 85 467 65 455 65C438 65 427 113 405 238C448 295 498 362 543 439L533 448L478 435C453 386 423 331 398 295H395C370 404 347 448 282 448C169 448 23 309 23 153C23 54 65 -12 128 -12C203 -12 283 70 339 155H341C360 29 380 -12 411 -12C444 -12 491 11 545 106ZM333 204C265 95 210 54 169 54C137 54 113 96 113 171C113 302 191 405 252 405C301 405 318 306 333 204Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.804,0)"><path d="M495 163C480 117 462 85 444 65C421 39 387 34 332 34C290 34 256 36 236 47C218 57 213 77 213 131V526C213 612 222 616 301 622V650H40V622C122 616 128 611 128 526V126C128 41 120 34 36 28V0H489C498 31 519 126 525 157L495 163Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,20.704,0)"><path d="M535 230V280H52V230H535Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.24,0)"><path d="M545 106L524 126C493 85 467 65 455 65C438 65 427 113 405 238C448 295 498 362 543 439L533 448L478 435C453 386 423 331 398 295H395C370 404 347 448 282 448C169 448 23 309 23 153C23 54 65 -12 128 -12C203 -12 283 70 339 155H341C360 29 380 -12 411 -12C444 -12 491 11 545 106ZM333 204C265 95 210 54 169 54C137 54 113 96 113 171C113 302 191 405 252 405C301 405 318 306 333 204Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.625,0)"><path d="M631 18C609 24 585 35 559 65C534 91 514 117 478 169C448 214 406 281 389 313C462 346 516 399 516 485C516 545 490 590 449 616C412 641 363 650 290 650H42V622C120 615 128 612 128 527V125C128 40 120 34 38 28V0H300V28C221 34 212 40 212 125V284H244C295 284 312 272 329 244C359 195 395 133 430 84C475 19 516 -3 592 -7C603 -8 615 -8 627 -8L631 18ZM212 316V563C212 591 215 602 223 607C231 613 248 617 277 617C352 617 423 577 423 469C423 415 407 375 368 345C343 324 310 316 260 316H212Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,46.829,0)"><path d="M162 -163V703H101V-163H162Z"></path></g></svg>.</span> (b) Facet joint orientation = (<i>α</i>L +<i>α</i>R)/2.</p>

BioMed Research International

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Figure 2

Figure 2: Relationship between Endplate Defects, Modic Change, Disc Degeneration, and Facet Joint Degeneration in Patients with Low Back Pain 