The purpose is to determine how reliably degenerative changes in the facet joints (FJs) and intervertebral discs (IvDs) can be assessed on computed tomography (CT) scans.
At least six raters, including neurosurgeons and CT specialists, will independently evaluate anonymized CT scans covering the T9-L3 levels. The study will assess reproducibility of the Pathria grading scale for FJ degeneration and of quantitative measurements such as FJ space width and FJ angulation.
availability of CT scans covering the T9-L3 vertebrae;
absence of imaging artifacts at the level of interest.
bone mineral density of the vertebrae of <100 HU;
systemic diseases of bone or joints associated with changes in the FJs and IvDs (including diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.);
previous spinal surgery, including procedures performed without instrumentation;
spinal fractures involving injury to the posterior structures;
The study population will be drawn from adult patients aged 18 to 65 years who underwent thoracolumbar CT at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine. Participants will be identified through available imaging records, and anonymized CT scans meeting predefined eligibility criteria will be selected for reliability and reproducibility analysis.
Other
Cross-sectional
Computed Tomography Image Review
Diagnostic testIndependent review of anonymized thoracolumbar CT scans by six raters for assessment of degenerative changes in facet joints and intervertebral discs using the Pathria scale, as well as measurement of facet joint space width and angulation.
Interobserver Reliability of CT-Based Pathria Grading Scale for Facet Joint Degenerative Changes
Interobserver agreement for grading facet joint degenerative changes on thoracolumbar CT scans using the 4-grade Pathria classification, assessed by Fleiss' kappa across six raters.
Interobserver Reliability of CT-Based Grading Scale for Intervertebral Disc Degenerative Changes
Interobserver agreement for grading intervertebral disc degenerative changes, including tendency toward ankylosis formation, on thoracolumbar CT scans.
Interobserver reliability of facet joint space width measurements
Interobserver reliability of quantitative measurement of facet joint space width, including mean, minimum, and maximum values, assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Interobserver reliability of facet joint angulation measurements
Interobserver reliability of measurement of facet joint angulation in the axial plane on thoracolumbar CT scans, assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Intraobserver Reliability of CT-Based Pathria Grading Scale for Facet Joint Degenerative Changes
Intraobserver agreement for grading facet joint degenerative changes on thoracolumbar CT scans using the 4-grade Pathria classification, assessed on repeated review.
Intraobserver Reliability of CT-Based Grading Scale for Intervertebral Disc Degenerative Changes
Intraobserver agreement for grading intervertebral disc degenerative changes, including tendency toward ankylosis formation, on repeated CT image review.
Intraobserver reliability of facet joint space width measurements
Intraobserver reliability of repeated quantitative measurement of facet joint space width, including mean, minimum, and maximum values, assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Intraobserver reliability of facet joint angulation measurements
Intraobserver reliability of repeated measurement of facet joint angulation in the axial plane on thoracolumbar CT scans, assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.
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