Low back pain MRI-examination. Comparing two different patient-positions; extended and flected knees and hips. Any different/extra information of clinical relevance?

Project summary

Patients with constant low back and nerve root pain (sciatic pain) have in most cases a referral for MRI of their back. Most often, the patients will lie in the MRI machine with their knees and hips in a flexed position. This is because this position gives less pain. Our hypothesis is that we may loose some information because the nerve roots have more space in this position compared to if the patient lies with extended hips and knees. Therefore, we want to do two extra MRI series where patients lie with extended legs to examine if the MRI findings will change. Before, during and after the examination, the patients will be asked to define their pains within a scale between 0 and 10.

The project is a pilot.  The patients will be examined by a medical doctor in advance and an MRI (with the ordinary protocol) is suggested. The objective is to find out if it is possible to run the extra two series and if these extra series will give extra information of clinical relevance.