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Modic changes in patients with degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine

  • Modic Changes
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ArgoSpine News & Journal

Abstract

Since the introduction of MRI for the assessment of degenerative pathologies of the lumbar spine, the bone marrow changes adjacent to the vertebral endplates, as described by Modic in 1984, are well known: There are three types of changes, and this classification has been accepted internationally by radiologists and spine surgeons, i.e. orthopaedic surgeons, as well as neurosurgeons treating routinely degenerative disc disease. Jones et al and Mulconrey et al reported a kappa value of 0.85 and 0.7 respectively for the interobserver reliability of these bone marrow changes.

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Vitzthum, H.E., Kaech, D.L. Modic changes in patients with degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine. ArgoSpine News J 21, 57–61 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/S12240-009-0012-4

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