MRI Evaluation of Disc Lesions Causing Lumbar Canal Stenosis and Backache

Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine refers to a syndrome in which an intervertebral disc with adjacent spine structures is compromised, this can be due to aging process associated with pathology. Thirty five percent of asymptomatic individuals may have degenerative spine findings, including: disc degeneration, modic changes, disc bulges, facet joint arthropathy and spinal stenosis. Plain radiography provides only limited diagnostic information. It cannot show the structural morphology of the intervertebral disc. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is helpful in detecting changes like disc displacement (bulge, protrusion, extrusion, sequestration), OPLL, zygapophyseal joint hypertrophy, buckling or hypertrophy of ligaments. Also MRI is helpful in differentiating central canal stenosis from lateral canal stenosis. Study population included all patients above 20 years of age with LBP with/without radiculopathy who were referred for lumbar spine MRI at Radiology Department, SRMCH from August 2011 to September 2013. All consented patients with LBP with/without radiculopathy referred for lumbar MRI were consecutively included in the study. A total of 280 individuals had lumbar MRI scan from August 2011 to September 2013, but only 250 whom fulfilled the study criterion were studied.