Association between Type 1 Modic Changes and Propionibacterium Acnes Infection in the Cervical Spine: An Observational Study

摘要

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Research on the association between Propionibacterium acnes in the disc space and type 1 Modic changes in adjacent vertebrae is limited and has produced mixed results. The prevalence of bacteria in intervertebral discs contradicts the prior understanding that skeletal areas in the human anatomy are sterile; yet it opens new treatment possibilities. We investigated the relationship of P acnes and type 1 Modic changes in the cervical spine.