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Is lumbosacral transitional vertebra associated with lumbar disc herniation in patients with low back pain?

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) frequency in patients with low back pain and lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and to analyze correlations between LSTV presence and intervertebral disc degeneration.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with low back pain applying between January 2021 and August 2021. Inclusion criteria were age of 18–65, presence of a standing lumbosacral Xray and a lumbar MRI taken within 2 weeks of the indexed symptoms. Patients with a history of spondylolisthesis, spondylodiscitis, scoliosis and vertebral neoplasia were excluded. A total of 1821 patients met the inclusion criteria. Radiographs and MRIs were evaluated by 2 radiologists.

Results

Of all patients, 61.4% were female and the mean age was 43.2 ± 12.2. LDH was detected in 57.7% of patients while a LSTV was present in 43.3%. Sacralization and LSTV were significantly different between the patients with and without an LDH. Patients with LSTV had a higher incidence of a LDH affecting 3 or more intervertebral disc levels (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in-between LSTV and non-LSTV groups regarding the M1 and M2 intervertebral disc degeneration levels.

Conclusion

A LDH is more common in the presence of a LSTV. Female sex is highly correlated with herniation. Three or more intervertebral disc levels are affected in the presence of an LSTV. Significantly higher degeneration incurs at the M1 and M2 intervertebral levels. Sacralization is a risk factors for a lumbar disc herniation.

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Availability of data and material

Data and material on this study will be made available to editors upon request.

Code availability

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr.Betül G. Y. Veizi and Dr. Mücahit Yıldız for their valuable contribution to this study.

Funding

The authors received no funding before, during or after this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara City Hospital, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey

    Fatma Fidan

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara City Hospital, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey

    Mehtap Balaban & Şükrü Cem Hatipoğlu

  3. Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Ankara City Hospital, 06000, Ankara, Turkey

    Enejd Veizi

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  1. Fatma Fidan
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  2. Mehtap Balaban
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  3. Şükrü Cem Hatipoğlu
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Correspondence to Enejd Veizi.

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The authors have no conflict of interest regarding the data and the results of this study.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the Local Ethics Review Board (Board Number 2—Ankara City Hospital—Decision number E2-22-1397).

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All patients whose data is presented in this study gave their permission to participate.

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All patients whose data is presented in this study gave their permission for data publication.

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Fidan, F., Balaban, M., Hatipoğlu, Ş.C. et al. Is lumbosacral transitional vertebra associated with lumbar disc herniation in patients with low back pain?. Eur Spine J 31, 2907–2912 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-022-07372-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-022-07372-y

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