Three stages on MRI of lumbar degenerative spine.

PURPOSES: To propose a new lumbar degenerative staging system using the current radiological classification system.

METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of retrospective databases between January 2018 and December 2022 was performed. 410 Patients for Modic changes, paravertebral muscle fat infiltration, disc degeneration, articular process degeneration, vertebral endplate degeneration and other structures and disc displacement, Spondylolisthesis, and Stenosis, and grouped patients according to stage were assessed. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were used to assess LBP strength, neurological function, and quality of life, respectively.

RESULTS: The lumbar degeneration staging system consists of 8 variables, which can be divided into three steps: early, middle and late, and the correlation between each variable is strong (p<0.05). The later the staging, the worse the JOA, VAS and ODI scores.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with later stages have worse clinical scores. This staging system recommends a uniform classification to assess lumbar degeneration.