Relationship of Modic Type 1 Change with Disc Degeneration: a Prospective MRI Study

Overview

Journal Skeletal Radiol

Specialties Orthopedics
Radiology

Date 2008 Dec 20

PMID 19096840

Citations 23

Authors

Katariina Luoma

Tapio Vehmas

Mats Gronblad

Liisa Kerttula

Eeva Kaapa

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to study the natural course of Modic type 1 change (M1) in relation to lumbar disc degeneration.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four chronic low back pain (LBP) patients with M1 on lumbar spine were selected from 1,015 patients with magnetic resonance imaging from a follow-up study lasting for 18-74 months. Exclusion criteria were any other specific back disorder, age >or=60 years, or a recent spine operation. The association between the development of M1 and degenerative disc changes was studied using multivariate modeling (complex samples logistic regression).

Results: At baseline, 20 of 28 (71%) disc spaces with M1 had a decreased disc height (DH) and 16 of 28 (57%) a dark nucleus pulposus, but ten of 28 (36%) a very dark annulus fibrosus and a paradoxically bright nucleus pulposus albeit decreased DH. During follow-up, DH decreased in 13 of 28 (46%) and signal intensity of nucleus pulposus (DSI) in eight of 28 (29%) disc spaces with M1, but it increased in four (14%) discs. In those without M1, only few changes occurred. The larger the M1, the more likely was the DH low or decreased further. Both the presence and changes in M1 were associated with a decrease in DH and changes in DSI and bulges.

Conclusion: The degenerative process in discs with adjacent M1 seems to be accelerated and leads to advanced and deforming changes with special morphologic features. M1 may be a sign of a pathologic degenerative process in the discovertebral unit.

Citing Articles

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Modic change is associated with increased BMI but not autoimmune diseases in TwinsUK.

Gualdi F, Granville Smith I, Boixader R, Williams F Eur Spine J. 2023; 32(10):3379-3386.

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Immune exposure: how macrophages interact with the nucleus pulposus.

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The Effect of Infection on Nerve Penetration in the Annulus Fibrosus of Lumbar Intervertebral Discs via Suppressing Oxidative Stress.

Shan Z, Wang X, Zong W, Li J, Zheng B, Huang B Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2022; 2022:9120674.

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Detailed Subphenotyping of Lumbar Modic Changes and Their Association with Low Back Pain in a Large Population-Based Study: The Wakayama Spine Study.

Teraguchi M, Hashizume H, Oka H, Cheung J, Samartzis D, Tamai H Pain Ther. 2021; 11(1):57-71.

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