CT-based analysis of sagittal and coronal lumbar endplate morphology: multivariate analysis of factors associated with endplate depth.

PURPOSE: Lumbar endplate morphology varies in individuals; thus, custom-made implants are sometimes more useful than standardized implants. This study aimed to analyze endplate morphology and factors associated with endplate depth using computed tomography (CT) in a non-symptomatic population. METHODS: In total, 118 lumbar CT images of non-symptomatic individuals without severe degenerative change (aged 20-79 years) were retrospectively reviewed. The following radiographic parameters were measured in each lumbar vertebral segment (T12-S1) to determine endplate depth: superior/inferior endplate depth in the midsagittal and midcoronal planes, disk angle, and height. The relationship between baseline demographics (age, sex, body mass index [BMI], Hounsfield unit of the L1 vertebral body, and pelvic incidence [PI]) and endplate depth was analyzed. RESULTS: Toward the caudal level, the superior endplate depth increased, sagittal inferior depth decreased, and coronal inferior depth increased. Multivariate analysis revealed that endplate depth was significantly associated with age (p < 0.001), while inferior endplate depth was associated with PI (p = 0.01). Superior endplate depth was associated with female sex (sagittal: p = 0.005, coronal: p = 0.002). Endplate depth, except for the inferior coronal region, was associated with low BMI (sagittal superior: p = 0.005; coronal superior and sagittal inferior: p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Endplate depths tend to be larger toward the caudal level, particularly in the superior endplate. Surgeons should thoroughly evaluate the preoperative CT image because various endplate morphologies require attention to cage shape when performing lumbar interbody fusion, especially in patients who are older, are female, have low BMI, and have large PI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I: Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with consistently applied reference standard and blinding.

[Study on anatomical parameters of adult lumbar intervertebral disc and endplate based on CT].

OBJECTIVE: To provide basic data for clinical application and individualized design of lumbar disc prostheses by measuring the anatomical parameters of lumbar intervertebral discs and endplates in healthy adults with CT three-dimensional reconstruction technology. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 200 males and 200 females with normal lumbar spine who were admitted to the imaging center or outpatient department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from September 2019 to December 2020. The age ranged from 20 to 60 years old, with an average of (40.61±11.22) years old. The measurement segment was L1-S1 intervertebral disc, and the measurement indicators included the axial anteroposterior diameter and transverse diameter of the intervertebral disc, sagittal anterior, middle and posterior height, coronal left and right height, intervertebral space angle, and transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the upper and lower endplates of each vertebral body. RESULTS: ①In terms of gender, the anatomical parameters of L1-S1 disc axial diameter, transverse diameter, sagittal anterior, middle and posterior height, left and right coronal height and intervertebral space angle were all higher in males than in females(P<0.05), and the anatomical parameters of upper and lower endplates of L1-S1 vertebral body were higher in males than in females(P<0.001). ②In comparison of sagittal height of anterior, middle and posterior intervertebral discs, the sagittal height of L1-L5 intervertebral discs was middle-high > anterior-high > posterior-high(P<0.001), while that of L5S1 intervertebral disc was anterior-high > middle-high > posterior-high (P<0.001). ③In the comparison of left and right coronal height, there was no statistical significance in the left and right coronal height of L1-S1 disc between male and female(P>0.05). ④The L1-S1 intervertebral spaces angle between male and female increased with the increase of vertebral body segments. ⑤The anterior and posterior diameters and transverse diameters of upper and lower of L1-S1 vertebral bodies endplates were height in males than in females(P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that gender differences should be considered in the design of adult lumbar disc prostheses. The anatomical parameters of the lumbar intervertebral disc varied with the increase of the vertebral body sequence, suggesting that different anatomical parameters of the intervertebral disc should be considered in the design of the artificial intervertebral disc, and the changes in the height of the sagittal position suggest that the design of the intervertebral disc should be wedge-shaped.

Study on anatomical parameters of adult lumbar intervertebral disc and endplate based on CT / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To provide basic data for clinical application and individualized design of lumbar disc prostheses by measuring the anatomical parameters of lumbar intervertebral discs and endplates in healthy adults with CT three-dimensional reconstruction technology.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on 200 males and 200 females with normal lumbar spine who were admitted to the imaging center or outpatient department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from September 2019 to December 2020. The age ranged from 20 to 60 years old, with an average of (40.61±11.22) years old. The measurement segment was L1-S1 intervertebral disc, and the measurement indicators included the axial anteroposterior diameter and transverse diameter of the intervertebral disc, sagittal anterior, middle and posterior height, coronal left and right height, intervertebral space angle, and transverse and anteroposterior diameters of the upper and lower endplates of each vertebral body.@*RESULTS@#①In terms of gender, the anatomical parameters of L1-S1 disc axial diameter, transverse diameter, sagittal anterior, middle and posterior height, left and right coronal height and intervertebral space angle were all higher in males than in females(P<0.05), and the anatomical parameters of upper and lower endplates of L1-S1 vertebral body were higher in males than in females(P<0.001). ②In comparison of sagittal height of anterior, middle and posterior intervertebral discs, the sagittal height of L1-L5 intervertebral discs was middle-high > anterior-high > posterior-high(P<0.001), while that of L5S1 intervertebral disc was anterior-high > middle-high > posterior-high (P<0.001). ③In the comparison of left and right coronal height, there was no statistical significance in the left and right coronal height of L1-S1 disc between male and female(P>0.05). ④The L1-S1 intervertebral spaces angle between male and female increased with the increase of vertebral body segments. ⑤The anterior and posterior diameters and transverse diameters of upper and lower of L1-S1 vertebral bodies endplates were height in males than in females(P<0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#The results suggest that gender differences should be considered in the design of adult lumbar disc prostheses. The anatomical parameters of the lumbar intervertebral disc varied with the increase of the vertebral body sequence, suggesting that different anatomical parameters of the intervertebral disc should be considered in the design of the artificial intervertebral disc, and the changes in the height of the sagittal position suggest that the design of the intervertebral disc should be wedge-shaped.

Influence of the geometric and material properties of lumbar endplate on lumbar interbody fusion failure: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) is an established surgical intervention for patients with leg and back pain secondary to disc herniation or degeneration. Interbody fusion involves removal of the herniated or degenerated disc and insertion of interbody devices with bone grafts into the remaining cavity. Extensive research has been conducted on operative complications such as a failure of fusion or non-union of the vertebral bodies. Multiple factors including surgical, implant, and patient factors influencing the rate of complications have been identified. Patient factors include age, sex, osteoporosis, and patient anatomy. Complications can also be influenced by the interbody cage design. The geometry of the bony endplates as well as their corresponding material properties guides the design of interbody cages, which vary considerably across patients with spinal disorders. However, studies on the effects of such variations on the rate of complications are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a systematic review of lumbar endplate geometry and material property factors in LIF failure. METHODS: Search keywords included 'factor/cause for spinal fusion failure/cage subsidence/cage migration/non-union', 'lumbar', and 'interbody' in electronic databases PubMed and Scopus with no limits on year of publication. RESULTS: In total, 1341 articles were reviewed, and 29 articles were deemed suitable for inclusion. Adverse events after LIF, such as cage subsidence, cage migration, and non-union, resulted in fusion failure; hence, risk factors for adverse events after LIF, notably those associated with lumbar endplate geometry and material properties, were also associated with fusion failure. Those risk factors were associated with shape, concavity, bone mineral density and stiffness of endplate, segmental disc angle, and intervertebral disc height. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrated that decreased contact areas between the cage and endplate, thin and weak bony endplate as well as spinal diseases such as spondylolisthesis and osteoporosis are important causes of adverse events after LIF. These findings will facilitate the selection and design of LIF cages, including customised implants based on patient endplate properties.

Lubricin expression in the lumbar endplate and its association with Modic changes.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of lubricin in the lumbar endplate and its association with Modic changes (MCs). METHODS: Human endplate specimens harvested from patients undergoing surgery for thoracolumbar spine fractures â€‹or lumbar interbody fusion were divided into two groups: MCs group and normal group. Lubricin expression was examined by immunohistochemistry, and differences between the groups were analysed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Lubricin expression and differences between endplates with MCs and normal endplates were confirmed using a rabbit model. In a final experiment, rabbit endplate chondrocytes were cocultured with Propionibacteria acnes (P. acnes) supernatant, and the expression of lubricin and endplate degeneration related genes were evaluated. In addition, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP-1), A disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 5 motif (ADAMTS5) and inflammatory factors (Interleukin- 1ß (IL-1ß) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6)) were evaluated after lubricin overexpression. RESULTS: Lubricin was found in human lumbar endplates and its expression was lower in the MCs group compared to the normal group. In the rabbit model, lubricin was also found in the endplate. In rabbits injected with P. acnes (the MCs group), lubricin expression of endplate decreased compared to the normal group. In the culture of rabbit endplate chondrocytes with P. acnes supernatant, the expression of lubricin, aggrecan, sox9 and collagen type-II decreased significantly, while that of MMP-1 and ADAMTS5 increased significantly. Moreover, lubricin overexpression could downregulate the expression of MMP-1, ADAMTS5 and inflammatory factors (IL-1ß and IL-6) compared to negative control. CONCLUSION: Lubricin is present in the lumbar endplate where it may have an anti-inflammatory role. P. acnes infection inhibits lubricin expression by cartilage endplate cells and this may facilitate the progression of MCs and endplate degeneration. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: Lubricin may have an anti-inflammatory role. P. acnes infection inhibits lubricin expression by cartilage endplate cells and this may facilitate the progression of MCs and endplate degeneration.

The correlation between the lumbar endplate Modic degeneration and degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc or pain provocation observed on CT discography / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To determine the correlation between the Modic degeneration of lumbar endplate on MRI and the pain provocation or degeneration of lumbar intervertebral discs observed on CT discography. Methods One hundred and twenty lumbar intervertebral discs (40 L3-4, 40 L4-5, 40 L5S1 intervertebral discs) of 40 patients among 45 patients were examined. 120 intervertebral discs underwent discography guided by CT scan, according to Dallas Discography Description system, degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc were divided into 0-3 grade, and pain provocation were graded into negative, indifferent and positive. On the basis of Modic classification system of the lumbar endplate changes and Pearce classification system of the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc, the lumbar endplate changes were divided into 0-3 grade, the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc were graded into Ⅰ-Ⅴ. All the results were analysed by Chi-Square test for the correlations. Results There was positive correlation between pain provocation test and the lumbar endplate Modic degeneration; There was a positive correlation between the Modic degeneration of lumbar endplate and the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc and so is the relation between the CT discography and MRI on discs. Conclusion There is positive correlation between pain provocation test and the Modic degeneration of lumbar endplate, it suggest the endplate might be one of the sources of low back pain. There is a positive correlation between the Modic degeneration of lumbar endplate and the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc.