Morphological Study on Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebra in Adult Indian Sacra and its Clinical Implications.

ABSTRACT

Lumbosacral transitional vertebra (Sacralization) is the fusion of 5Th lumber vertebra with the first segment of the sacrum it may be complete or incomplete. In complete sacralization body of the 5Th lumber vertebra completely fuses with the sacrum, where as in incomplete sacralisation shows a well defined joint line between the transverse process and the sacrum. Both forms may be either unilateral or bilateral. Such kind of abnormalities are importance while reporting the X ray, CT and MRI films, during surgical procedures at the Lumbosacral region and making a differential diagnosis for the low back ache patients. Accordingly the present study was designed to evaluate the incidence and morphological study of Sacralization (Lumbosacral transitional vertebra) in adult Indian sacra and its clinical significance. This study was carried out on 150 dry human sacra irrespective of age and sex at Mayo Institute of Medical Sciences- Barabanki,-UP, Melaka Manipal Medical College-Manipal University and Department of Anatomy, KMCT Medical College, Manassery-Calicut. It was observed that out of 150 sacra, 57 (38%) sacra showed sacralization. Out of 57 sacralized bones, 38 (25.33%) bones showed bilateral sacralization, whereas 19 (12.67%) bones showed unilateral sacralization. Such Lumbosacral transitional vertebra may increase the ricks of Disc bulge / herniation or pseudarthrosis (nonunions) with the ilium, degenerative sclerosis around the false joint, compression of lumber nerve roots, low back pain, and false administration of epidural or intradural anaesthetics in lumbosacral region. Its sound knowledge is not only enlightening for the orthopaedic surgeons, also vital for the clinical anatomists, forensic experts and morphologists.