Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2025
A Mouse Model of Lumbar Spine Instability
Published on: April 23, 2021
Facet joint thickness and lumbar instability documented on myelo-computed tomography studies in patients with lumbar
Shunsuke Ikeda1, Hidetoshi Ooigawa1, Tatsuki Kimura1
1Department of Neurosurgery, International Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.
Background:
Various indicators of vertebral instability in patients with lumbar degenerative disease can be identified in myelo-computed tomography (CT) studies.
Methods:
Of 120 patients, 45 with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS; 53 lumbar lesions) and 75 with lumbar spinal stenosis alone (LSS; 105 lesions) (2015-2019) myelo-CT studies and surgery confirmed the presence of lumbar instability. Myelo-CT findings indicative of instability included facet joint thickness (FJT), fluid in the facet joint, facet tropism, and air in the facet and/or disc.
Results:
For the 120 study patients, FJT was significantly elevated in both the LDS and LSS groups.
Conclusion:
FJT on myelo-CT is more specific for lumbar instability than other imaging parameters when evaluating LDS. An increase in FJT suggests vertebral instability likely warranting fusion.
