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Does the morphology of the iliolumbar ligament affect lumbosacral disc degeneration?
Takato Aihara1, Kazuhisa Takahashi, Yutaka Ono
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chousei Hospital, Mobara-city,Chiba 299-4114,Japan. aiharaty@h3.dion.ne.jp
Study Design:
An anatomic study of the iliolumbar ligament was performed in association with lumbosacral disc degeneration.
Objectives:
To determine whether the morphology of the iliolumbar ligament contributes to lumbosacral disc degeneration.
Summary Of Background Data:
There have been few reports concerning the clinical significance of the iliolumbar ligament.
Methods:
We dissected 25 male and 27 female cadavers and measured the length and cross-sectional area of the anterior and posterior bands of the iliolumbar ligament. The specimens were classified into three groups based on the grade of L4-L5 and L5-S1 disc degeneration: the L4-L5 disc was more degenerated than the L5-S1 disc (group L), the L4-L5 disc was less degenerated than the L5-S1 disc (group S), and both discs were equally degenerated (group E). The results were statistically compared among the three groups.
Results:
The length of the posterior bands and the summation of the length of the anterior and posterior bands were significantly shorter in group L than in group S, and the cross-sectional area of the posterior bands and the summation of the cross-sectional area of the anterior and posterior bands were significantly larger in group L than in groups S or E in the male cadaver specimens.
Conclusion:
If the iliolumbar ligaments (especially the posterior band of the ligament) of a male patient are short and have a large cross-sectional area, the lumbosacral junction can be stabilized by the ligaments, with the L5-S1 disc being protected from degeneration. The L4-L5 disc may be prone to degeneration.