[Radiological study of the morphological abnormalities on lumbosacral spine--with special reference to clinical...

The relationship between clinical features and radiological findings in patients with morphological abnormalities including lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (TV), spina bifida occulta (SBO), and lumbar spondylolysis (LY) was investigated. Materials were 1194 cases including 408 TV, 402 SBO, 162 LY, 85 LY+SBO, 41 LY+TV and 96 SBO+TV. Five hundred cases showing normal structure of lumbosacral spine in X-rays were also studied as a control group. Many of the cases with clinical symptoms showed the low position of the intercrestal line, 34.4% of the patients with incomplete diarthroial joint of TV complained of sciatica or numbness of the leg. The range of motion of the vertebral body directly above TV increased in patients with TV located below the intercrestal line. In many cases of the 5th lumbar spondylolysis, a decrease of the lumbosacral angle and an increase of the pedicle facet angle in the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae were observed. In many cases of co-existence of the 5th lumbar spondylolysis and SBO in the 5th lumbar vertebrae, it was observed that a decrease of the lumbosacral angle and the lumbar index and an increase of the pedicle facet angle compared with cases of the 5th spondylolysis.