What does "Facet arthropathy" mean?

Facet arthropathy is wear in the spine's small joints

Your vertebrae connect at the back through small facet joints. Facet arthropathy means those joints show wear — the spine's version of arthritis anywhere else.

What the facet joints do

At the back of the spine, each vertebra meets the next through a pair of small joints that guide and limit movement. Like any joint, they can show age-related wear: thinning cartilage, a little enlargement.

Why it appears on so many reports

It is one of the most common findings on a spine MRI over 40, because it is part of normal ageing. Radiologists note it because it is there, not because it is necessarily the story.

When it is relevant

Facet-related discomfort tends to be felt more with leaning back or twisting. Whether the facets are your source of pain is something a clinician works out by combining the scan with an exam — the image alone does not settle it.

The part that usually gets left out

In people with no back pain at all, disc bulges show up on 30% of 20-year-olds and 84% of 80-year-olds. Disc degeneration shows up on 37% of 20-year-olds and 96% of 80-year-olds. These findings are part of normal ageing for most people — like grey hair on a scan.

Brinjikji et al., systematic review of imaging in asymptomatic populations (AJNR, 2015).

What it does not mean

It does not mean your spine is worn out.
It does not mean the joints will keep degrading no matter what.
It does not mean you should stop moving — motion keeps joints healthier.

When to stop reading and see someone

Seek urgent medical care

Loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin and inner thighs (possible cauda equina syndrome)

See a professional before continuing

Most back pain is not dangerous. These signs, though, need a person — not a web page:

Pain after significant trauma — a fall or an accident
Neurological deficit: loss of strength, loss of sensation, or spreading numbness
Fever, chills, or signs of infection alongside back pain
Unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer
Severe night pain that does not settle with rest
Pregnancy — back pain in pregnancy needs specialised guidance
Under 18 years old — this content is written for adults

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Written from published research and reviewed for safety. Not yet reviewed by a named clinician — we say so rather than imply otherwise.