title: Reliability of histographic analysis for paraspinal muscle degeneration in patients with unilateral back pain using magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mixed use of T1- or T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in histographic analysis has impeded cross-reference of studies on fatty degeneration of muscles in patients with back pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to establish the measurement reliability of histographic analysis for normal and painful paraspinal muscles between T1- and T2-weighted MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  T1- and T2-weighted MRI at the L4-5 level were performed in 31 patients with unilateral back pain. Two raters conducted the histographic analysis on 2 separate occasions. Multifidus, erector spinae, and psoas major muscles were assessed on both normal and painful sides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intra- and interrater reliability of the parameters were generally excellent for both T1- (intrarater: 0.83 ± 0.13 and interrater: 0.93 ± 0.08) and T2-weighted images (intrarater: 0.93 ± 0.12 and interrater: 0.92 ± 0.12). Histogram width was fair to good for both kinds of image. Intraclass correlation coefficients were similar between painful and normal sides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence that most histographic analysis parameters had excellent reliability for both T1- and T2-weighted images allows for cross-reference of the results between the two kinds of image. Moreover, the results of this study support the availability of histographic analysis for assessment of fatty degeneration in patients with back pain.
authors.affiliation: Barunsesang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.|Mechanical Engineering Department, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yushin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Barunsesang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.|Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Minyoung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Barunsesang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Seungcheol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Barunsesang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: BumChul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001416:Back Pain; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging research; diagnostic accuracy study; low back; muscle physiology; pain