Association of lumbar vertebral bone marrow and paraspinal muscle fat composition with intervertebral disc degeneration: 3T quantitative MRI findings from the population-based KORA study.

• Fat composition of the lumbar vertebral bone marrow is positively correlated with paraspinal skeletal muscle fat. • Higher fat-fractions of lumbar vertebral bone marrow and paraspinal muscle are both independent as well as additive risk factors for intervertebral disc degeneration. • Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging measurements of bone marrow and paraspinal muscle may serve as imaging biomarkers for intervertebral disc degeneration.