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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Contemp Clin Trials. 2015 Oct 19;45(0 0):157–163. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.10.003

Table 5.

Imaging Findings Likely Clinically Important vs. Likely Clinically Unimportant

Likely Clinically Important Likely Clinically Unimportant

  • Moderate or severe stenosis*

  • Disc extrusion

  • Nerve root displacement or compression

  • Endplate edema (Type 1 endplate change)

  • Grade 2 or higher listhesis

  • Annular Fissure

  • Disc height loss

  • Mild stenosis (central, lateral recess or foraminal)

  • Nerve root contact without displacement/compression

  • Grade 1 listhesis

  • Disc dessication

  • Disc bulge

  • Disc protrusion

  • Facet degeneration (any severity)
*

central, lateral recess or foraminal