title: Distribution and incidence of degenerative spine changes in patients with a lumbo-sacral transitional vertebra.
abstract: The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the overall incidence and distribution of lumbo-sacral degenerative changes (i.e. disc protrusion or extrusion, facet degeneration, disc degeneration, nerve root canal stenosis and spinal stenosis) in patients with and without a lumbo-sacral transitional vertebra (LSTV). The study population consisted of 350 sequential patients with low back pain and/or sciatica, referred for medical imaging. In all cases CT scans of the lumbo-sacral region were obtained. In 53 subjects (15%) and LSTV was found. There was no difference in overall incidence of degenerative spine changes between the two groups. We did find, however, a different distribution pattern of degenerative changes between patients with and those without an LSTV. Disc protrusion and/or extrusion occurred more often at the level suprajacent to the LSTV than at the same level in patients without LSTV (45.3% vs 30.3%). This was also the case for disc degeneration (52.8% vs 28%), facet degeneration (60.4% vs 42.6%) and nerve root canal stenosis (52.8% vs 27.9%). For spinal canal stenosis there was no statistically significant difference between the two categories. In conclusion, our findings indicate that an LSTV does not in itself constitute a risk factor for degenerative spine changes, but when degeneration occurs, it is more likely to be found at the disc level above the LSTV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vergauwen
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Parizel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Breusegem
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Van Goethem
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nackaerts
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van den Hauwe
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: De Schepper
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012447:Sacrum / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012585:Sciatica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed