TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphometric study of the orientation of lumbar zygapophyseal joints in a South Indian population
AU - Mohanty, S. P.
AU - Pai Kanhangad, Madhava
AU - Kamath, Siddarth
AU - Kamath, Asha
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - PURPOSE: To determine the orientation of lumbar zygapophyseal joints and prevalence of facet tropism (FT) identified by computerized tomographic (CT) scans.METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 124 CT scans of patients with spinal injuries, seen between 2011and 2015, were retrospectively studied. A total of 566 uninjured motion segments were analysed. The right and left zygapophyseal joint angles (ZJAs) from L1-L2 to L5-S1 were measured on axial sections at uninjured levels. The absolute difference between the right and left ZJA was calculated to determine the prevalence and severity of FT at each level.RESULTS: The mean ZJA (mean ± SD) at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 was 23.55 ± 7.21, 27.97 ± 6.95, 39.47 ± 6.07, 48.32 ± 6.38 and 53.45 ± 6.67, respectively. Prevalence of FT at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 was 22.42%, 25%, 27.19%, 47.82% and 38.5%, respectively. One-way repeated analysis of variance test showed a statistically significant difference in mean ZJA ( p < 0.05) and prevalence of FT ( p < 0.05) at different levels of the lumbar spine.CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that ZJA is not the same at different levels of the lumbar spine. The mean ZJA progressively increases from L1-L2 to L5-S1. This could explain the greater range of movements in the lumbar spine at the lower levels. The higher prevalence of FT at L4-L5 and L5-S1 seen in this study could explain the greater incidence of disc prolapse and other degenerative disorders at these levels.
AB - PURPOSE: To determine the orientation of lumbar zygapophyseal joints and prevalence of facet tropism (FT) identified by computerized tomographic (CT) scans.METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 124 CT scans of patients with spinal injuries, seen between 2011and 2015, were retrospectively studied. A total of 566 uninjured motion segments were analysed. The right and left zygapophyseal joint angles (ZJAs) from L1-L2 to L5-S1 were measured on axial sections at uninjured levels. The absolute difference between the right and left ZJA was calculated to determine the prevalence and severity of FT at each level.RESULTS: The mean ZJA (mean ± SD) at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 was 23.55 ± 7.21, 27.97 ± 6.95, 39.47 ± 6.07, 48.32 ± 6.38 and 53.45 ± 6.67, respectively. Prevalence of FT at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 was 22.42%, 25%, 27.19%, 47.82% and 38.5%, respectively. One-way repeated analysis of variance test showed a statistically significant difference in mean ZJA ( p < 0.05) and prevalence of FT ( p < 0.05) at different levels of the lumbar spine.CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that ZJA is not the same at different levels of the lumbar spine. The mean ZJA progressively increases from L1-L2 to L5-S1. This could explain the greater range of movements in the lumbar spine at the lower levels. The higher prevalence of FT at L4-L5 and L5-S1 seen in this study could explain the greater incidence of disc prolapse and other degenerative disorders at these levels.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047305912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85047305912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/2309499017739483
DO - 10.1177/2309499017739483
M3 - Article
C2 - 29121821
AN - SCOPUS:85047305912
SN - 1022-5536
VL - 25
JO - Journal of the Western Pacific Orthopaedic Association
JF - Journal of the Western Pacific Orthopaedic Association
IS - 3
ER -