Evaluation of patients with low back pain: a need for a standardized approach (radiologist's view)

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been recognized as a modality of choice in the evaluation of the spine. However, morphological abnormalities demonstrated by MR imaging do not always reflect low back pain (LBP). MR imaging should be interpreted with consideration of full clinical signs, symptoms, and other relevant background. At the same time, MR findings potentially relevant to LBP, such as morphological abnormalities of the disc, presence or absence of high intensity zone, abnormalities of the end plate and adjacent marrow signal, degree of nerve root compression, and degeneration of the facet joint, should be described without omission.