Low back pain: Influence of early MR imaging or CT on treatment and outcome - a randomized controlled study protocol

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether early use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) influences treatment and outcome of patients with low back pain. METHODS: This study will be implemented from March 2021 to March 2022 at Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. The experiment was granted through the Research Ethics Committee of Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (R609320987). Patients who have symptomatic lumbar spine disorders at presentation are eligible for the trial if there is clinical uncertainty about the need for imaging (MRI or CT). Patients are excluded who required immediate referral for imaging (those who had signs suggestive of serious abnormalities or disease or who required surgical intervention), who have undergone MR imaging or CT of the spine within 1 year, who do not need imaging, and who have pain of a nonspinal origin. The primary outcome measure is the Aberdeen Low Back Pain (ALBP) score. Other principal outcome measure is the Short Form 36. RESULTS: Table 1 will show the quality of life outcome measures between groups. CONCLUSION: This study may guide the policy makers to develop an evidence-based protocol to assess the effect of early use of MRI or CT in the treatment of patients with low back pain.