Journal List > J Korean Soc Spine Surg > v.12(4) > 1035683

Kim, Kang, Park, Park, Sung, and Choy: Radiological and Clinical Analysis of Degenerative Lumbar Retrolisthesis -Comparative Study of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis-

Abstract

Study design

This is a retrospective study.

Objectives

We wanted to analyze the radiological features of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and retrolisthesis, and we wanted to verify what radiological factors are related to the development of the retrolisthesis. We also wanted to determine these radiological factors' clinical significance.

Summary of the literature review

There is little information about the pathological mechanism and the clinical and radiological aspects of degenerative lumbar retrolisthsis.

Materials & methods

Sixty patients were reviewed and divided into three groups. The degenerative lumbar retrolisthesis patients were in group A. The degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients were in group B. Group C patients had no vertebral shift in any direction. The factors we measured were the facet joint angle, the disc height of L3- 4, L4- 5 and L5- S1, and the lordosis of the lumbar spine. The evaluation of the clinical results was then quantified.

Results

The facet joint angle showed no statistical significance between the two groups. The disc height of group A at L4- 5 and L5- S1 was more decreased in group A than in group B (p<0.05). Lumbar lordosis was decreased significantly in group A (p<0.05). The preoperative pain was improved at the final follow up, but preoperative pain was significantly higher in group A than in group B (p<0.05). The clinical results were improved in each group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions

The disc height and lumbar lordosis were considerably reduced in the patients with retrolisthesis, especially compared to those patients with spondylolisthesis. Preoperative pain was higher for the retrolisthesis patients than for the spondy-lolithesis patients, but there was no significant difference.

REFERENCES

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Fig. 1.
Measurement of facet joint angulation in the transverse plane. A line parallel to the posterior vertebral body wall serves as reference.
jkss-12-338f1.tif
Fig. 2.
Measurement of disc height as Farfan index. The sum of anterior disc height A and posterior height B is divided by sagittal disc width D.
jkss-12-338f2.tif
Fig. 3.
Measurement of lumbar lordosis.
jkss-12-338f3.tif
Table 1.
Average values of facet joint angle in each group
  Group A Group B
L3-4 (°) 37.25± 6.22° 43.57± 10.84°
L4-5 (°) 41.61± 6.19° 44.89± 8.94°0
L5-S1 (°) 45.82± 7.59° 48.16± 9.6°00
Table 2.
Average values of disc height in each group
  Group A Group B Group C
L3-4 47.55± 11.57 54.17± 6.500 55.23± 5.340
L4-5 46.28± 14.82 60.55± 12.39 62.89± 10.92
L5-S1 47.63± 13.77 65.63± 12.30 66.19± 9.750
Table 3.
Average values of lumbar lordosis in each group
  Group A Group B
lumbar lordosis 24.68± 9.85° 48.35± 9.28°
Table 4.
Outcomes of treatment result in each group
  Group A Group B
  preop last F/U preop last F/U
10 point pain scale 8.8± 1.03 3.8± 0.78 7.5± 0.97 3.6± 0.69
Table 5.
Outcomes of Kirkaldy-Willis test result in each group
  Group A Group B
excellent 13 cases 15 cases
good 07 cases 05 cases
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