Modic Changes Are Associated With Increased Pain Intensity, Greater Disability, and Reduced Quality of Life in Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

作者：Daishui Yang, B. Hoehl, Lukas Schönnagel, Lukas Mödl, Tianwei Zhang, Sihai Liu, Sandra Reitmaier, Lena Fleig, Matthias Pumberger, Hendrik Schmidt · 发表于：Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1097/corr.0000000000003565 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation、Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology、Bone health and osteoporosis research

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem and a major contributor to disability. Modic changes, or vertebral marrow changes visible on MRI, are frequently observed in individuals with LBP. However, there is inconsistent evidence assessing the relationship between Modic changes and LBP, pain-related disability, and quality of life. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Are Modic change parameters, including their type, number, and extent, positively associated with the characteristics of LBP, particularly when classified into intermittent LBP and chronic LBP? (2) Are Modic change parameters associated with participant-reported longer duration and higher intensity of LBP? (3) Are Modic change parameters associated with worsened pain-related disability and poorer quality of life? METHODS: This study was a Phase III, single-center, cross-sectional analysis drawing its data from the ongoing Berlin Back Study (research unit FOR5177). A total of 1218 participants who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited between January 2022 and January 2024. Of these, 18% (217 of 1218) were excluded because of the lack of results from orthopaedic clinical examination and MRI evaluation. After clinical examination and completion of questionnaires, another 24% (289 of 1218) were excluded because of pain in other locations or pain experienced in the past, leaving 58% (712 of 1218) of participants in our study. The individuals included in this study had a mean age of 42 ± 11 years,...