Purpose: The main aim of this retrospective study was to analyze lumbopelvic sagittal parameters among the three different types of Modic changes (MCs). Furthermore, correlations between the sizes of MCs and the number of involved lumbar levels with lumbopelvic parameters are investigated.
Methods: A total of 263 adult subjects with MCs at a single institution from September 2015 to October 2020 who underwent lumbar x-ray examinations and magnetic resonance imaging were included in this retrospective study. Types of MCs, sizes of MCs, lumbar levels involved by MCs as well as lumbopelvic sagittal parameters from each subject were evaluated by two authors.
Results: Lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), and pelvic incidence (PI) in subjects with MC grade 1 were significantly smaller than in those with MC grade 2 and grade 3 (p< 0.05). Lumbopelvic sagittal parameters decreased significantly as the sizes aggravated (p< 0.01). Triple lumbar levels with MCs showed a significant increase in PI-LL (p< 0.05) and decrease in LL (p< 0.01), SS (p< 0.01), and PI (p< 0.01) when compared to MCs at single and double lumbar levels.
Conclusion: MC grade 1, severe MCs, and lumbar multi-segmental MCs were significantly linked to lumbar sagittal imbalance.
Keywords: Modic changes, sagittal balance, lumbopelvic parameter, pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, sacral slope