03/27/2026
Your imaging results often don’t matter.
The research has shown this time and time again over the past decade or more.
MRI findings below (cited at end) found the following “abnormalities” in asymptomatic adults (adults who report no pain):
69% had labral tears in their hips
43% of knees had cartilage defects/partial thickness tears
30% of knees had bone spurs/growths
25% of shoulders had labral fraying/tears
52% of spines had disc degeneration by the age of 30
Incidence increases with age.
None of these people had pain.
So, don’t buy into the hype. You are more adaptable than you think, and your imaging usually means nothing (unless you fell off a cliff and your CT scan says you have a brain bleed… then it means a little more than what we’re discussing here).
Citations:
Ibounig T, et al. Systematic Review of Shoulder Imaging Abnormalities in Asymptomatic Adult Shoulders. British Journal of Sports Medicine / Elsevier. 2024.
Brinjikji W, Diehn FE, Jarvik JG, et al. Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2015.
Beattie et al., “Abnormalities Identified in the Knees of Asymptomatic Volunteers Using Peripheral Magnetic Resonance Imaging.” Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2005
Register et al., Prevalence of Abnormal Hip Findings in Asymptomatic Participants: A Prospective, Blinded Study. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012
