Lumbosacral MRI Findings in Chronic Lower Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders demanding hospital visits. Inter vertebral disc degeneration is a known cause of chronic low LBP back pain. The relation between changes in the lumbar spine and lower back pain is controversial.

To assess LSS MRI findings in patients with CLBP, and to show the relation of disc degeneration with age and gender.

218 adult patients with chronic lower back pain (pain more than 12 weeks) did Lumbosacral spine MRI, at Azadi Teaching Hospital/Kirkuk city, from March/2017 to April/2018, those with a positive history of spinal pathology other than osteoarthritis were excluded. The disc degenerative MRI changes at each lumbar disc were assessed and correlated according toage and gender.

146 of patients were male, and 72 of them were female, their age ranged from (16–73 years). Males and elderly patients were affected by disc degeneration more. 92.2% of patients had disc degeneration, followed by disc contour abnormality, facet joint arthrosis, high-intensity zone (HIZ), spinal canal stenosis, Modicchanges (MC), Schmorl's nodes (SN), and spondylolesthesis. L4-L5 disc was the most commonly involved level by disc degeneration, followed by L5-S1 disc, the least level was L1-L2.

Most patients with CLBP have DDD. Older males are the most susceptible people to develop DDD which affect most commonly L4-L5 disc level, other findings may associate with DDD are MC, SN, HIZ, facet joint arthrosis, spinal stenosis, and spondylolesthesis.