Relative Frequencies of the Spectrum of MRI Lesions in the Sacroiliac Joints of Healthy Individuals and Patients with Non-Specific Back Pain: What Is the Impact of Increasing Age?

Background/Purpose:
Previous studies of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) have demonstrated that certain MRI structural lesions in the sacroiliac joints (SIJ), notably erosions, has high specificity for axSpA. However, a recent study has
reported a progressive increase in MRI structural lesions in healthy individuals with increasing age, erosions being detected in as many as 40% of those aged ≥401. If replicated in other cohorts, this could have a major impact on the diagnostic interpretation of MRI lesions in the SIJ. We aimed to assess the impact of increasing age on the frequency of MRI lesions in the SIJ in cohorts of healthy individuals without back pain and those diagnosed with non-specific back pain (NSBP).