Prevalence of MRI findings in lumbosacral spine in patients with chronic low back pain: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common causes of patients looking for medical care. The incidence of LBP in adults is 84% and the estimated incidence in all age groups is 18%. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted among patients who underwent lumbosacral spine MRI for suspected degenerative disc diseases causing chronic low back pain in patients who age from 21 to 73 years between January 2019 and August 2021. Results: 427 patients fit into our inclusion criteria. The most common MRI degenerative finding was disc dehydration (82%) followed by the effect on the relative nerve roots including touching, encroachment, and compression (78.7%) while annular fissure was the least (4.9%). Conclusion: Disc dehydration was the most common pattern of MRI degenerative findings and its prevalence was higher among the elderly. The most commonly affected region of the spine was L4/5 with similar prevalence in both males and females.