anatomical features and functional significance of lumbar transitional vertebra

ABSTRACT

Three hundred and fourty sacra of 2 population groups were examined for the presence of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae. Of these 32 [9.4%] showed evidence of unilateral sacralization and 14 [4.1%] showed bilateral sacralization. Lumbarization was not observed in any of the examined sacra. Although controversy exists as to the possible effects of sacralizatvon, the findings of the present study has shown that unilateral saralization may be associated with structural changes of sacrum which are of functional significance: