Aaron J. Fields
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View article: Association between MRI findings and inflammatory symptoms in non-specific chronic low back pain
Association between MRI findings and inflammatory symptoms in non-specific chronic low back pain Open
View article: HLA-A*26:01 is associated with vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions (Modic changes) in chronic low back pain: a novel immune-genetic link
HLA-A*26:01 is associated with vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions (Modic changes) in chronic low back pain: a novel immune-genetic link Open
Objectives: Modic changes (MC) are vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions frequently observed in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), but their immunogenetic underpinnings remain unknown. We investigated HLA allele associations to u…
View article: Baseline characteristics of participants in the Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments clinical trial: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial for chronic low back pain
Baseline characteristics of participants in the Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments clinical trial: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial for chronic low back pain Open
Objective Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a significant public health problem in the United States. A method to identify treatments that are most likely effective for an individual patient based on their unique characteristics is needed. M…
View article: Biobehavioral phenotypes of chronic low back pain: Psychosocial subgroup identification using latent profile analysis
Biobehavioral phenotypes of chronic low back pain: Psychosocial subgroup identification using latent profile analysis Open
Objective This study identifies distinct biobehavioral phenotypes among patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Methods These phenotypes were derived from baseline data from two cohorts within the NI…
View article: Spatial patterns of fat within the deep multifidus as a biomarker for chronic low back pain
Spatial patterns of fat within the deep multifidus as a biomarker for chronic low back pain Open
FI in deep regions of the MF at L4L5 and L5S1 is more strongly associated with pain and adjacent disc degeneration and less associated with age, sex, and BMI than overall FI%. We identify regional differences in MF FI related to pain which…
View article: The design and rationale of the Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments trial: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial
The design and rationale of the Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments trial: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial Open
Objective Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a common condition that impacts quality of life and function. There are many evidence-based treatments to address cLBP; however, treatment effects are modest, perhaps in part due to individual vari…
View article: Information Extraction from Lumbar Spine MRI Radiology Reports Using GPT4: Accuracy and Benchmarking Against Research-Grade Comprehensive Scoring
Information Extraction from Lumbar Spine MRI Radiology Reports Using GPT4: Accuracy and Benchmarking Against Research-Grade Comprehensive Scoring Open
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to create a pipeline for standardized data extraction from lumbar-spine MRI radiology reports using a large language model (LLM) and assess the agreement of the extracted data with research-grade sem…
View article: 4. Systematic clustering analysis using multimodal data in a chronic low back pain cohort: a preliminary baseline analysis in the ComeBACK Study
4. Systematic clustering analysis using multimodal data in a chronic low back pain cohort: a preliminary baseline analysis in the ComeBACK Study Open
View article: Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the productivity and career prospects of musculoskeletal researchers
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the productivity and career prospects of musculoskeletal researchers Open
Academic researchers faced a multitude of challenges posed by the COVID‐19 pandemic, including widespread shelter‐in‐place orders, workplace closures, and cessation of in‐person meetings and laboratory activities. The extent to which these…
View article: Design of the COMEBACK and BACKHOME Studies, Longitudinal Cohorts for Comprehensive Deep Phenotyping of Adults with Chronic Low-Back Pain (cLBP): a part of the BACPAC Research Program
Design of the COMEBACK and BACKHOME Studies, Longitudinal Cohorts for Comprehensive Deep Phenotyping of Adults with Chronic Low-Back Pain (cLBP): a part of the BACPAC Research Program Open
Objective The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Core Center for Patient-centric, Mechanistic Phenotyping in Chronic Low Back Pain (REACH) is one of the three NIH Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Programs Mechanistic Rese…
View article: On the Fire Hose Kickback Force in Solid Water Streams
On the Fire Hose Kickback Force in Solid Water Streams Open
This study investigates the kickback force (F K ) experienced by firefighters during fire suppression using hoses of varying diameters and different nozzle sizes. Rigorous ground tests were conducted, where a fire engine was employed to pr…
View article: Low back pain patients with Modic type 1 changes exhibit distinct bacterial and non-bacterial subtypes
Low back pain patients with Modic type 1 changes exhibit distinct bacterial and non-bacterial subtypes Open
View article: Type 2 diabetes impairs annulus fibrosus fiber deformation and rotation under disc compression in the University of California Davis type 2 diabetes mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model
Type 2 diabetes impairs annulus fibrosus fiber deformation and rotation under disc compression in the University of California Davis type 2 diabetes mellitus (UCD-T2DM) rat model Open
Understanding the biomechanical behavior of the intervertebral disc is crucial for studying disease mechanisms and developing tissue engineering strategies for managing disc degeneration. We used synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering to…
View article: Non‐enzymatic glycation reduces glucose transport in the human cartilage endplate independently of matrix porosity or proteoglycan content
Non‐enzymatic glycation reduces glucose transport in the human cartilage endplate independently of matrix porosity or proteoglycan content Open
Background Intervertebral disc degeneration is associated with low back pain, which is a leading cause of disability. While the precise causes of disc degeneration are unknown, inadequate nutrient and metabolite transport through the carti…
View article: Bullying, harassment, and discrimination of musculoskeletal researchers and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: an international study
Bullying, harassment, and discrimination of musculoskeletal researchers and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: an international study Open
PURPOSE: Bullying, harassment, and discrimination (BHD) are prevalent in academic, scientific, and clinical departments, particularly orthopedic surgery, and can have lasting effects on victims. As it is unclear how BHD affects musculoskel…
View article: Deep-learning-based biomarker of spinal cartilage endplate health using ultra-short echo time magnetic resonance imaging
Deep-learning-based biomarker of spinal cartilage endplate health using ultra-short echo time magnetic resonance imaging Open
The trained deep learning models enable accurate, automated CEP segmentations and T2* biomarker computations that are statistically similar to those from manual segmentations. These models address limitations with inefficiency and subjecti…
View article: Intradiscal treatment of the cartilage endplate for improving solute transport and disc nutrition
Intradiscal treatment of the cartilage endplate for improving solute transport and disc nutrition Open
Poor nutrient transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) is a key factor in the etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration and may hinder the efficacy of biologic strategies for disc regeneration. Yet, there are currently no treatmen…
View article: ISSLS Prize in Bioengineering Science 2023: Age- and sex-related differences in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration between patients with chronic low back pain and asymptomatic controls
ISSLS Prize in Bioengineering Science 2023: Age- and sex-related differences in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration between patients with chronic low back pain and asymptomatic controls Open
View article: The Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Data Harmonization: Rationale for Data Elements and Standards
The Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Data Harmonization: Rationale for Data Elements and Standards Open
Objective One aim of the Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program is to develop an integrated model of chronic low back pain that is informed by combined data from translational research and clinical trials. We describe efforts to ma…
View article: The Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program: Structure, Research Priorities, and Methods
The Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program: Structure, Research Priorities, and Methods Open
In 2019, the National Health Interview survey found that nearly 59% of adults reported pain some, most, or every day in the past 3 months, with 39% reporting back pain, making back pain the most prevalent source of pain, and a significant …
View article: Protocol for Biospecimen Collection and Analysis Within the BACPAC Research Program
Protocol for Biospecimen Collection and Analysis Within the BACPAC Research Program Open
The Biospecimen Collection and Processing Working Group of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) HEAL Initiative BACPAC Research Program was charged with identifying molecular biomarkers of interest to chronic low back pain (cLBP). Havin…
View article: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine: Recommendations for Acquisition and Image Evaluation from the BACPAC Spine Imaging Working Group
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine: Recommendations for Acquisition and Image Evaluation from the BACPAC Spine Imaging Working Group Open
Management of patients suffering from low back pain (LBP) is challenging and requires development of diagnostic techniques to identify specific patient subgroups and phenotypes in order to customize treatment and predict clinical outcome. …
View article: Evidence-based interventions to treat chronic low back pain: treatment selection for a personalized medicine approach
Evidence-based interventions to treat chronic low back pain: treatment selection for a personalized medicine approach Open
Introduction: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is highly prevalent in the United States and globally, resulting in functional impairment and lowered quality of life. While many treatments are available for cLBP, clinicians have little informat…
View article: Influence of patient‐specific factors when comparing multifidus fat infiltration between chronic low back pain patients and asymptomatic controls
Influence of patient‐specific factors when comparing multifidus fat infiltration between chronic low back pain patients and asymptomatic controls Open
Introduction Many studies have attempted to link multifidus (MF) fat infiltration with muscle quality and chronic low back pain (cLBP), but there is no consensus on these relationships. Methods In this cross‐sectional cohort study, 39 cLBP…
View article: Spatial distribution of fat infiltration within the paraspinal muscles: implications for chronic low back pain
Spatial distribution of fat infiltration within the paraspinal muscles: implications for chronic low back pain Open
Purpose Fat infiltration (FI) of the paraspinal muscles (PSMs) measured using MRI is an aspect of muscle quality and is considered to be worse in chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients. However, there is not a clear association between para…
View article: The contributions of cartilage endplate composition and vertebral bone marrow fat to intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain
The contributions of cartilage endplate composition and vertebral bone marrow fat to intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain Open
Purpose The composition of the subchondral bone marrow and cartilage endplate (CEP) could affect intervertebral disc health by influencing vertebral perfusion and nutrient diffusion. However, the relative contributions of these factors to …
View article: Using hierarchical unsupervised learning to integrate and reduce multi-level and multi-paraspinal muscle MRI data in relation to low back pain
Using hierarchical unsupervised learning to integrate and reduce multi-level and multi-paraspinal muscle MRI data in relation to low back pain Open
View article: Paraspinal Muscle in Chronic Low Back Pain: Comparison Between Standard Parameters and Chemical Shift Encoding‐Based Water–Fat <scp>MRI</scp>
Paraspinal Muscle in Chronic Low Back Pain: Comparison Between Standard Parameters and Chemical Shift Encoding‐Based Water–Fat <span>MRI</span> Open
Background Paraspinal musculature (PSM) is increasingly recognized as a contributor to low back pain (LBP), but with conventional MRI sequences, assessment is limited. Chemical shift encoding‐based water–fat MRI (CSE‐MRI) enables the measu…
View article: Non-enzymatic glycation of annulus fibrosus alters tissue-level failure mechanics in tension
Non-enzymatic glycation of annulus fibrosus alters tissue-level failure mechanics in tension Open
Advanced-glycation end products (AGEs) are known to accumulate in biological tissues with age and at an accelerated rate in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Clinically, diabetes has been linked to increased frequency and …
View article: The contributions of cartilage endplate composition and vertebral bone marrow fat to intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain
The contributions of cartilage endplate composition and vertebral bone marrow fat to intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain Open
Purpose The composition of the subchondral bone marrow and cartilage endplate (CEP) could affect intervertebral disc health by influencing vertebral perfusion and nutrient diffusion. However, the relative contributions of these factors to …