FREQUENCY OF VERTEBRAL END PLATE MODIC CHANGES IN PATIENTS WITH LUMBOSACRAL SPINE DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE USING MRI AS THE IMAGING MODALITY

ABSTRACT
Objective: Lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease is a common condition presenting usually with low back pain
.It is frequently associated with vertebral end plate modic changes. In this article we evaluate frequency of vertebral
end plate modic changes in patients with lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease.
Materials and methods: The study is a retrospective study. It was conducted in Peshawar institute of medical sciences
from 1st May 2015 to 1st May 2016 during which we evaluated the prevalence of modic changes and there type in 70
patients with lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease.
Results: Out of the 770 discs of 70 patients (from upper end plate of L1 to upper end plate of S1) 38% end plates (296)
showed end plate modic changes with type II modic changes being the commonest (37%) followed by mixed changes
(32.4%).Type I change was noticed in 16.2% while type III in 14.1%.The conversion of type I to type II was observed
in two patients who came for follow up MRI with symptom improvement. The end plates commonly involved were at
L5-S1 (49%) and L4-L5 (44%) level with other levels being involved but less commonly.
Conclusion: Modic changes are part of the normal age-related degenerative process affecting the lumbar spine.
These lesions can convert from one type to another with time, with mixed-type changes probably representing the
intermediate stages in this conversion.
Key words: Lumbosacral spine, degenerative changes, magnetic resonance imaging, modic changes