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Published on: June 26, 2018
Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae: association with low back pain
Lorenzo Nardo1, Hamza Alizai, Warapat Virayavanich
1Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. Lorenzo.Nardo@ucsf.edu
Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are common, especially in men. Specific types, LSTV II and IV, are linked to increased low back and buttock pain severity.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Orthopedics
- Pain Medicine
Background:
- Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) represent a common anatomical variation.
- The association between LSTV and low back pain (LBP) remains a subject of investigation.
- Understanding LSTV prevalence and its clinical correlation is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and classification of LSTV within the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort.
- To investigate the correlation between LSTV and the presence and severity of low back pain (LBP) and buttock pain.
- To evaluate the reproducibility of LSTV grading.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of standing pelvic radiographs from 4636 participants in the OAI cohort.
- Classification of LSTV using the Castellvi classification system.
- Correlation of LSTV presence and type with self-reported LBP and buttock pain prevalence and severity.
Main Results:
- LSTV prevalence was 18.1%, with significantly higher rates in men (28.1%) than women (11.1%).
- The most common LSTV types were I (41.72%) and II (41.4%).
- LSTV types II and IV showed a statistically significant higher prevalence and severity of LBP and buttock pain compared to other types and absence of LSTV.
Conclusions:
- Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are prevalent in the OAI cohort, particularly in males.
- LSTV types II and IV are significantly associated with increased prevalence and severity of low back pain and buttock pain.
- These findings highlight the clinical relevance of specific LSTV subtypes in spinal pain.
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