Groin pain associated with lower lumbar disc herniation

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Lumbar disc herniation can present with groin pain, a symptom infrequently detailed in medical literature.
• Previous research has minimally addressed the specific clinical and imaging features of groin pain originating from lower lumbar disc herniation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the clinical characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients experiencing groin pain due to lower lumbar disc herniation.
• To differentiate these findings from patients with lumbar disc herniation but without groin pain.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzed 512 patients with single lower lumbar disc herniation (L4-L5 and L5-S1).
• Twenty-one patients (4.1%) reporting groin pain were identified and their clinical and MRI data were compared to those without groin pain.

Main Results:

• Patients with groin pain were older and had a lower incidence of low back pain.
• L4-L5 disc herniations were more common in the groin pain group compared to L5-S1.
• MRI revealed a more central herniation pattern in patients with groin pain.

Conclusions:

• Elderly individuals with L4-L5 protruding anulus fibrosus herniation are most susceptible to groin pain.
• The sinuvertebral nerve, innervating structures including the posterior anulus fibrosus, is implicated as the afferent pathway for groin pain.