[Study on the overall anatomical features and clinical value of lumbar nerve root, plexus and branches in CT reconstruction].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the overall anatomical characteristics and the clinical value of the lumbar nerves under CT multiplanar reconstruction.


METHODS
Fifty normal subjects and 30 patients with LN diseases (51 sides) were selected, including 10 patients with lumber intervertebral disk hernia, eight patients with spinal stenosis, 5 patients with spondylolisthesis, 1 patient with tethered cord syndrome, 1 patient with lumbar scoliosis, and 5 patients with spinal trauma The 16-slice helical CT (Light Speed, GE Company) was used for scanning the lumbar vertebra with multiplanar reconstruction in Workstation (ADW4.1) with UNIX System in DICOM format. The image was set on the same slice for the overall anatomy and manifestations of the lesions.


RESULTS
The same-slice imaging showed the strip-like LN slightly lower than the surrounding muscle in density. Each LN went out of the dural sac at an acute angle. The course of the lumbar plexus and its major branches, including the obturator nerve, femoral nerve and reproductive nerve, and their relations to the adjacent structures were clearly revealed. The percentage of the segments displayed was well associated with the reconstruction angle, with the order being oblique coronal > outward-rotated oblique coronal > oblique sagittal > coronal > sagittal section. The major manifestations of abnormal LN included compression and displacement (50 sides, 98.0%), morphological changes (49 sides, 96.1%), adhesion (41 sides, 80.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
The CT multiplanar reconstruction is ideal for the imaging of the overall size, shape, running and tension of the LN root; it is valuable in clinical diagnosis.
Wang
Yan-Hua
YH
Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
Lin
Jing-Fu
JF
Jiang
Bao-Guo
BG
Fu
Zhong-Guo
ZG
Li
Yan-Ying
YY
Li
Xiao-Juan
XJ
Tian
Shu-Ping
SP
Zhang
Yan-Qun
YQ
Zhang
Hong-Bo
HB
Zhang
Dian-Ying
DY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D055815:Young Adult