Modic Changes

These are common changes of the marrow adjacent to a degenerated disc.

Some find it useful to compare these changes to levels of physical fitness.

Please note that the most common enhancing pathology in the spine is degenerative.

Reference:

Modic MT, Steinberg PM, Ross JS, et al. : "Degenerative disk disease: assessment of changes in vertebral body marrow with MR imaging". I Radiology 1988;166(1 Pt 1):193-9.

Also

http://radiology.rsna.org/content/168/1/177.full.pdf+html?sid=5032be50-640e-4496-8935-0de891a57dee