The Relationship between Lumbar Shape and Lumbar Disc Herniation

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We designed this study to investigate the relationship among lumbar disc herniation, vertebral endplate area and shape, and lumbar and sacral parameters. METHOD: 78 experimental patients with low back pain and 27 controls were enrolled. Experimental patients were divided into group A with low back pain without trauma and lumbar disc herniation and group B with low back pain due to lumbar disc herniation without trauma. Controls had low back pain due to recent trauma but no previous history of back pain and lumbar disc herniation. We reviewed MRI (magnetic resonance image) films of these patients with anteroposterior and transverse diameter of endplates, lumbar lordosis angle, and sacral angle. The relationship of these data and sex, age, body weight, height, intervertebral disc herniation, low back pain were statistically studied. RESULTS: Patients' sex, age, body weight, height, vertebral endplate area and shape, lumbar and sacral parameters were not related to disc herniation. But the more circular vertebral shape was, the larger lumbar lordosis angle was. And the larger lumbar lordosis angle was, the less sacral angle was. CONCLUSION: There were no relationships between the development of disc herniation at L4-5, L5-S1 and the shape of the vertebral body at the endplate level.