Fig. 3

Examples of intervertebral space narrowing >50% intervertebral space narrowing (>50-IVSN) Modic 1 signal changes and ≤50%-IVSN Modic 1 changes on lumbar MRI. a >50%-IVSN Modic 1 changes in L5/S1 in a 52-year-old man. Decrease in intervertebral disc height was >50%, bone edema was present and extended to L5 and S1 vertebral bodies (white arrows) with hyperintense signal in T2-weighted sequence (left panel) and hypointense signal in T1-weighted sequence (right panel), and L5/S1 antelisthesis was observed (red arrow); b ≤50%-IVSN Modic 1 signal changes in L5/S1 in a 35-year-old woman. Decrease in intervertebral disc height was <50%, edema extended to L5 and S1 vertebral endplates (white arrows) with hyperintense signal in T2-weighted sequence (left panel) and hypointense signal in T1-weighted sequence (right panel), and posterior disc protrusion was observed (red arrow). L4/L5 lumbar DDD was also present