title: Bilateral spondylolysis of inferior articular processes of the fourth lumbar vertebra: a case report.
abstract: Lumbar spondylolysis, a well known cause of low back pain, usually affects the pars interarticularis of a lower lumbar vertebra and rarely involves the articular processes. We report a rare case of bilateral spondylolysis of inferior articular processes of L4 vertebra that caused spinal canal stenosis with a significant segmental instability at L4/5 and scoliosis. A 31-year-old male who had suffered from low back pain since he was a teenager presented with numbness of the right lower leg and scoliosis. Plain X-rays revealed bilateral spondylolysis of inferior articular processes of L4, anterolisthesis of the L4 vertebral body, and right lateral wedging of the L4/5 disc with compensatory scoliosis in the cephalad portion of the spine. MR images revealed spinal canal stenosis at the L4/5 disc level. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion of the L4/5 was performed, and his symptoms were relieved.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nishitaga National Hospital, Sendai, Japan. koakutsu@med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors: Tomoaki
authors: T
authors: Koakutsu
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Morozumi
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Hoshikawa
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Ogawa
authors: Yushin
authors: Y
authors: Ishii
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Itoi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery