Lumbosacral transitional vertebra: Prevalence and association with low backache
Abstract
Study Design-Retrospective observational analysis of radiological images.
Purpose- To determine the prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) in patients symptomatic with low backache and study the association of type of LSTV with low backache.
Materials & Methods: Standard standing lumbosacral spine AP radiographs were obtained for 6000 patients aged between 18-60 years of age. The lumbosacral spine was assessed for the presence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra which was further classified into type I, II, III, IV based on Castellvi’s method. The association of low backache (LBA) with the subtypes of LSTV was also studied.
Results: The prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra was found in 6.45 % (387 out of 6000), of which type II (pseudo articulation, unilateral or bilateral) was the commonest type found in 62.7 %, followed by type I (dysplastic transverse process) in 23.2 %, type III (true fusion) in 10.1 % and type IV (mixed, unilateral pseudo articulation and contralateral true fusion) in 3.8 %. The subtype IIA was found strongly associated with low backache.
Conclusions: In this cohort-based study, the prevalence of LSTV was studied and a positive association of LSTV was established to be considered as one of the differentials of low backache.
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References
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