Age-specific prevalence estimates of degenerative spine imaging findings in asymptomatic patientsa
| Imaging Finding | Age (yr) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | |
| Disk degeneration | 37% | 52% | 68% | 80% | 88% | 93% | 96% |
| Disk signal loss | 17% | 33% | 54% | 73% | 86% | 94% | 97% |
| Disk height loss | 24% | 34% | 45% | 56% | 67% | 76% | 84% |
| Disk bulge | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 69% | 77% | 84% |
| Disk protrusion | 29% | 31% | 33% | 36% | 38% | 40% | 43% |
| Annular fissure | 19% | 20% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 27% | 29% |
| Facet degeneration | 4% | 9% | 18% | 32% | 50% | 69% | 83% |
| Spondylolisthesis | 3% | 5% | 8% | 14% | 23% | 35% | 50% |
↵a Prevalence rates estimated with a generalized linear mixed-effects model for the age-specific prevalence estimate (binomial outcome) clustering on study and adjusting for the midpoint of each reported age interval of the study.