Automated Grading of Modic Changes Using CNNs – Improving the Performance with Mixup

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lumbar sacralization on the level of vertebral slip and disc degeneration in patients with L4 spondylolysis.METHODSThe authors analyzed data from 102 cases in which patients underwent surgical treatment for L4 spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis at their institution between March 2007 and September 2016. Lumbar sacralization was characterized by the presence of pseudarthrosis and/or bony fusion between the L5 transverse process and sacrum, and the type of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) was evaluated with the Castellvi classification. The amount of vertebral slippage was measured using the Taillard technique and Meyerding grade. Degeneration of the L4–5 segment was quantified using the Pfirrmann and Modic classifications. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of sacralization, and the amount of vertebral slip and degeneration of the L4–5 segment was compared between groups.RESULTSLumbar sacralization was present in 37 (36%) of 102 patients with L4 spondylolysis. The LSTV was type IIa in 10 cases, type IIb in 7, type IIIa in 2, and type IIIb in 18. The levels of vertebral slip and disc degeneration in the group of patients with sacralization were significantly greater than in the group without sacralization. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups with respect to Modic changes.CONCLUSIONSThe increased stability between a sacralized L5 and the sacrum may predispose the L4–5 segment to greater instability and disc degeneration in patients with L4 spondylolysis.

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Lumbar Disc Herniation and Preoperative Modic Changes: A Prospective Analysis of the Clinical Outcomes After Microdiscectomy

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/2192568220976089 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 219256822097608

Author(s):

Dinesh Kumarasamy ◽

Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran ◽

Sri Vijay Anand K. S ◽

Dilip Chand Raja Soundararajan ◽

Ajoy Prasad Shetty T ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Satisfaction ◽

Back Pain ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Lumbar Disc Herniation ◽

Disc Herniation ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Modic Changes ◽

P Value ◽

Functional Scores

Study design: Prospective comparative cohort study. Objectives: The study aims to elucidate the relationship between Modic endplate changes and clinical outcomes after a lumbar microdiscectomy. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) were prospectively studied. Pre-operative clinical and radiological parameters were recorded. The pain was assessed by Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and functional assessment by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in outcome was calculated for both the groups. Complications related to surgery were studied. Follow-up was done at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Mac Nab criteria were used to assess patient satisfaction at 1 year. Results: Out of 309 patients, 86 had Modic changes, and 223 had no Modic changes. Both groups had similar back pain (p-value: 0.07) and functional scores (p-value: 0.85) pre-operatively. Postoperatively patients with Modic changes had poorer back pain and ODI scores in the third month, sixth month and 1 year (p-value: 0.001). However, MCID between the groups were not significant (p-value: 0.18 for back pain and 0.58 for ODI scores). Mac Nab criteria at 1 year were worse in Modic patients (p-value: 0.001). No difference was noted among Modic types in the pre-operative and postoperative pain and functional outcomes. Four patients in Modic group (4.7%) and one patient in the non-Modic group (0.5%) developed postoperative discitis (p-value: 0.009). Conclusions: Preoperative Modic changes in lumbar disc herniation is associated with less favorable back pain, functional scores and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing microdiscectomy.

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An AI-Based System for Formative and Summative Assessment in Data Science Courses

International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education ◽

10.1007/s40593-020-00230-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pierpaolo Vittorini ◽

Stefano Menini ◽

Sara Tonelli

Keyword(s):

Data Science ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Online Courses ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Science Courses ◽

Summative Assessments ◽

Assessment Activity ◽

Automated Grading ◽

Automated Feedback

AbstractMassive open online courses (MOOCs) provide hundreds of students with teaching materials, assessment tools, and collaborative instruments. The assessment activity, in particular, is demanding in terms of both time and effort; thus, the use of artificial intelligence can be useful to address and reduce the time and effort required. This paper reports on a system and related experiments finalised to improve both the performance and quality of formative and summative assessments in specific data science courses. The system is developed to automatically grade assignments composed of R commands commented with short sentences written in natural language. In our opinion, the use of the system can (i) shorten the correction times and reduce the possibility of errors and (ii) support the students while solving the exercises assigned during the course through automated feedback. To investigate these aims, an ad-hoc experiment was conducted in three courses containing the specific topic of statistical analysis of health data. Our evaluation demonstrated that automated grading has an acceptable correlation with human grading. Furthermore, the students who used the tool did not report usability issues, and those that used it for more than half of the exercises obtained (on average) higher grades in the exam. Finally, the use of the system reduced the correction time and assisted the professor in identifying correction errors.

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Automated grading assistance for student programs

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin ◽

10.1145/191033.191184 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 381-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

David G. Kay ◽

Terry Scott ◽

Peter Isaacson ◽

Kenneth A. Reek

Keyword(s):

Automated Grading

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What is the Role of the Bacterium Propionibacterium acnes in Type 1 Modic Changes? A Review of the Literature

Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal ◽

10.1016/j.carj.2017.07.004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (4) ◽

pp. 419-424 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mark Georgy ◽

Mark Stern ◽

Kieran Murphy

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Propionibacterium Acnes ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Modic Changes ◽

Low Back ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Disc Disease ◽

Randomized Controlled

This review presents a summary of the pathology and epidemiology of Modic changes and the possible role of Propionibacterium acnes. This information is followed by a synthesis of the most recent clinical research involved in culturing the discs of patients with degenerative disc disease for the presence of bacteria. We also discuss a randomized controlled trial that investigates the effects of antibiotics on patients with chronic low back pain and type 1 Modic changes. We conclude with a brief discussion of the difficulties involved in this research and the significance of the findings.

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