Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations
96% Prevalence by Age 80
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25430861/
REFERENCE
133
NICE
REFERENCE
123
organisation
American Journal of Neuroradiology
TITLE
Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations
96% Prevalence by Age 80
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25430861/
DISC COMMENTARY
This systematic review looked at how common spinal degeneration actually is on scans of people with no back pain, pooling 33 studies covering 3,110 pain-free individuals to establish how much of what shows up on an MRI is simply a normal part of ageing.
What was studied?
Researchers tracked how the prevalence of specific imaging findings, such as disc degeneration and disc bulging, changed with age in people who had never reported any back pain, from their twenties through to their eighties.
What did they find?
Disc degeneration was present in 37 percent of pain-free 20-year-olds, rising to 96 percent of pain-free 80-year-olds. Disc bulges were seen in 30 percent of pain-free 20-year-olds, rising to 84 percent by age 80. These findings are largely a normal part of ageing, not necessarily linked to pain.
Why it matters
For anyone who has had a scan showing disc degeneration or bulging, this is genuinely reassuring: these findings are extremely common in people with no pain at all, especially as we age.
Why we included it
It illustrates a broader principle behind sound diagnosis: a scan finding on its own does not prove cause, so imaging should always be read alongside a patient's actual symptoms and examination findings.
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What was studied?
Researchers tracked how the prevalence of specific imaging findings, such as disc degeneration and disc bulging, changed with age in people who had never reported any back pain, from their twenties through to their eighties.
What did they find?
Disc degeneration was present in 37 percent of pain-free 20-year-olds, rising to 96 percent of pain-free 80-year-olds. Disc bulges were seen in 30 percent of pain-free 20-year-olds, rising to 84 percent by age 80. These findings are largely a normal part of ageing, not necessarily linked to pain.
Why it matters
For anyone who has had a scan showing disc degeneration or bulging, this is genuinely reassuring: these findings are extremely common in people with no pain at all, especially as we age.
Why we included it
It illustrates a broader principle behind sound diagnosis: a scan finding on its own does not prove cause, so imaging should always be read alongside a patient's actual symptoms and examination findings.