Lumbosacral MRI Findings in Chronic Lower Back Pain

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders demandinghospital visits. Intervertebral discdegeneration is a known cause of chronic low LBP back pain. The relation between changes in the lumbar spine and lower back pain is controversial. Objectives: To assess LSS MRI findings in patients with CLBP, and to show the relation of disc degeneration with age and gender. Material and Method: 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. Results: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 disccontour 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-S1disc, the least level was L1-L2. Conclusions: Most patients with CLBP have DDD. Older males are the most susceptiblepeople to develop DDD which affect most commonly L4-L5 disc level, other findings mayassociate with DDD are MC, SN, HIZ, facet joint arthrosis, spinal stenosis, andspondylolesthesis.