Joint Bone Spine. Volume 76, Issue 3, May 2009, Pages 286-289

Reliability of a modified Modic classification of bone marrow changes in lumbar spine MRI

Fouad Fayada,b, Marie-Martine Lefevre-Colauc, Jean-Luc Drapéd, Antoine Feydyd, Nathalie Chemlad, Nathalie Quintéroa, François Rannoua, Serge Poiraudeaua, Jacques Fermaniane and Michel Revela

aDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cochin Hospital (AP-HP), Paris Descartes University, 75679 Paris Cedex 14, France
bDepartment of Rheumatology, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon, France
cDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Corentin-Celton Hospital (AP-HP), Paris Descartes University, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
dDepartment of Radiology B, Cochin Hospital (AP-HP), Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
eDepartment of Biostatistics, Necker Hospital (AP-HP), Paris Descartes University, Paris, France

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and interobserver reliability of a modified Modic classification for bone marrow changes seen on lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), taking into consideration mixed signals.

Methods

Lumbar MRI scans from 94 patients with low back pain were assessed independently by 2 spine specialists (senior [senior1], junior) and a radiologist (senior2). One reviewer (senior1) assessed the MR images twice at a three-week interval for evaluation of intraobserver reliability. Senior2 and junior reviewers assessed the MR images once. Pure edema endplate signal changes were classified as Modic type I, and pure fatty endplate changes as Modic type II. A mixture of types I and II but predominantly edema signal changes was classified as Modic I-2 and a mixture of types I and II but predominantly fatty changes was classified as Modic II-1.

Results

The intraobserver agreement was excellent (weighted kappa 0.85). The interobserver agreement was moderate to substantial (weighted kappa range 0.56–0.74). Interobserver reliability depended on the experience of the observer, thus highlighting the importance of a learning curve.

Conclusion

This study shows that the modified Modic classification is reliable and easy to apply for observers with different clinical experience. The inclusion of mixed marrow changes in the modified classification may have clinical and therapeutic implications.

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