Biochemical analysis of joint effusion and analysis of degenerative process of articular cartilage in low back pain arising from facet joints

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K10820
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: NAGASHIMA Hideki 鳥取大学, 医学部, 教授 (00271049)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 腰痛 / 椎間関節 / 変性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One study entitled "Evaluation of age-related changes in lumbar fecet joints using T2 mapping" has been completed, and showed that T2 value of facet joints was significantly increased as age rose. This study was published in Journal of Orthopaedic Science.
Other two studies entitled "Relationship between T2 value of facet joints and low back pain arising from facet joints" and "Analysis of microRNA in degenerative facet joints" have been started just after approvals by our institutional ethical committee. Since their sample sizes have not satisfied yet, we have to continue these studies in 2020. After collecting enough samples, we will analyse these data and submit papers to international journals.

Free Research Field

整形外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世界中には、極めて多くの人々が腰痛に悩まされており、腰痛の機序を解明し、治療に結びつける研究を行うことで、世界に貢献することができる。今までの腰痛の研究は、椎間板と神経に重点が置かれてきたことは否めない。そこで、本研究では、今までのアプローチと視点を変えて、椎間関節性腰痛に注目した。
簡便に非侵襲的に関節軟骨の変性を評価できるT2 mappingに注目し、椎間関節のT2値は加齢とともに上昇することを明らかにした。これらを基準値として患者のT2値の特徴を求めれば、変性軟骨の定量化が可能となることが期待できる。「椎間関節の変性に関わるmicroRNAの解析」では、病態の解明に繋がる可能性がある。