Relationship of lumbosacral spine morphometrics and lumber disc degenerative disease in young adults using magnetic resonance imaging

ObjectivesTo evaluate the relationship between lumbosacral morphological parameters and intervertebral disc degenerative disease.Material and methodsA retrospective study of MRI lumbosacral studies of low backache patients included 152 patients (92 females and 60 males). Patients were evaluated for the presence of disc herniation or degeneration. Angles of lumbar lordosis, sacral table, and sacral kyphosis were measured.ResultsNormal population included 51 patients (30 males and 21 females) and showed no statistically significant difference between male and female. 101 patients had degenerated disc and/or disc herniation. There was no statistically significant difference between normal population and patients with disc pathology as regards lumber lordosis angle (p > 0.05) while a statistically significant difference was observed as regards both sacral kyphosis angle and sacral table angle. Patients with disc pathology showed; moderate negative correlation between lumber lordosis angle and sacral table angle (p = 0.001), strong negative correlation between lumber lordosis angle and sacral kyphosis angle (p = 0.000) and no correlation between sacral table angle and sacral kyphosis angle (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe risk of developing disc degeneration and herniation increases with increasing sacral table angles and decreasing sacral kyphosis angle.