Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Low-Back Pain
A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging and Theranostics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 31
Special Issue Editors
Interests: MRI; MSK Imaging; bone tumors; soft tiffue tumors; DTI; radiomics; cardiac CT; cardiac MRI; prostate MRI; MSK ultrasound
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: neuroradiology; MRI; focused ultrasound; tremor; spine imaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: thrombectomy; acute ischemic stroke; intracranial aneurysms; carotid stenting; AVM; FAVD
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Low back pain remains a leading cause of disability worldwide, demanding precise diagnosis and targeted therapy. This Special Issue invites contributions that integrate advanced imaging with image-guided interventions to optimize outcomes in subacute and chronic pain. We welcome studies that refine MRI- and CT-based phenotyping to distinguish radicular from non-radicular sources (e.g., disk–nerve conflict, foraminal/central stenosis, and the contextual interpretation of Modic/endplate changes) and that define imaging criteria for patient selection.On the interventional side, we seek original research, reviews, and technical notes on epidural and periradicular injections, selective nerve root blocks for diagnostic/therapeutic targeting, facet and sacroiliac joint procedures with medial branch radiofrequency ablation, and vertebral augmentation for painful compression fractures. We particularly encourage submissions on emerging or evolving techniques, such as basivertebral nerve ablation, percutaneous disk decompression (laser or coblation), and minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD), including safety, comparative effectiveness, and pragmatic selection algorithms. We also welcome studies that make imaging reports clearer and easier to use in everyday practice, building sensible care pathways that avoid cascade testing and unnecessary medications. Our goal is to provide a practical, evidence-based roadmap that aligns imaging, intervention, and meaningful outcomes for individualized management of low-back pain.
Dr. Raffaele Natella
Dr. Federico Bruno
Dr. Daniele Giuseppe Romano
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- low back pain
- magnetic resonance imaging
- radiculopathy
- imaging biomarkers
- patient selection
- interventional radiology
- epidural injections
- radiofrequency ablation
- intradiscal therapy
- vertebral augmentation
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
