MAGNETİC RESONANCE IMAGİNG ANALYSİS OF THE FORAMEN AND DİSC SPACE İN PATİENTS WİTH L5 VERTEBRAL BODY HYPOPLASİA

Abstract

Objective: We studied those results of calculating foramen diameter and intervertebral disc height in normal patients and L5 hypoplasia.

Design: This study is observational.

Place & duration of study: Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Neurosurgery, Alanya, Turkey between January 2017 January 2020

Methodology: We performed with MRI of 20 patients with L5 hypoplasia and 20 control group. Anteroposterior diameter of L5, foraminal sizes, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and intervertebral disc degeneration were assessed.

Results: When L5 hypoplasia and control groups were evaluated, a statistically significant difference was observed when L4-5 and L5-S1 AP diameters were compared. Both the right L5 and S1 foramen diameters and left L5 and S1 foramen diameters were significantly narrower in the patients with L5 hypoplasia compared with control group. Grade I true anterolisthesis was detected in 3 patients included in the L5 hypoplasia group. All patients with L5 hypoplasia had thinning of the pedicles and hypoplasia of the lower surfaces of the L5. Low-grade disc degeneration was observed in all patients at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels of the L5 hypoplasia group.

Conclusion: Physicians who detect vertebral body hypoplasia in radiological imaging studies such as MRI should definitely consider the possibility of spondylolisthesis, disc degeneration and foraminal stenosis that may develop in these patients. Even if such patients are asymptomatic, they should regularly follow up radiologically and clinically.