J Korean Radiol Soc.  1979 Jun;15(1):43-50. 10.3348/jkrs.1979.15.1.43.

Radiological evaluation of preoperative and postoperative plain radiographs as related to postoperative clinical symptom in lumbar disc herniation

• Jaun WK
• Eun CK
• Han CY

• KMID: 2349348
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1979.15.1.43

Abstract

In the great majority of cases with the lower back pain, the lumbar herniated disc is one of the common causes. The plain radiographs of preoperative and postoperative periods and their relationship with clinical symptom were studied in 76 cases which were surgically verified as lumbar disc at Baik Hospital. The following results were obtained; 1. Males were affected more frequently than females with the ratio of 1.6 to 1, In male itis most common in the 3rd decade of life and in female in the 4th decade. 2. In preoperative plain radiograph,16.9% of 76 cases revealed no specific abnomrality. The most common positive finding was the straightening of thelumbar curvature(56.6%). Other common positive finding was a relative narrowing of the intervertebral discspace(46.1%). 3. The greatest incidence of preoperative intervertebral disc space was between 0.8cm and 1cm (48.8%of cases) and next 1.1cm .- 1.3cm (37.8%) 4, Among 82 lesions of herniated lumbar disc, the greatest incidence of location was L4-5 disc space(86.6%) 5. The overall mean of lumbosacral angle in preoperative plain radiograph was 29.8° in male and 29.5° in female. The greatest incidence of lumbosacral angle was between 31° and 40°(31.6% of cases) and next 2°-30° (30.3%) 6. Study of postoperative (after 1 month-1 year)radiograph and it's relationship to postoperative clinical symptom. i) Postoperative plain radiograph showed the further decrease of disc space in 39 cases (51.3%) than preopeative one. 26 cases (34.2%) of them had the postoperative clinical symptom. and 13 cases (27.1%) had no complains. ii) postoperative lumbosacral angle showed further increase in 35 cases (46%) than preoperataive one, iii) 18.6%(8 cases) of 43 cases with preoperative straightening of lumbar curvature showed the normal lumbar lordosis in postoperative radiograph. 7 cases of themhad no complains in postoperative period. iv) 93.9%(31 cases) of 33 cases with preoperative normal lumbar lordosisalso showed normal lordosis in postoperative radiograph, 2 cases showed the postoperative straightening of lumbar curvature with complain of back pain. v) 85.7% (12 cases) of 14 cases with preoperative local lumbar scoliosis showed no scoliosis of lumbar spines in postoperative radiograph. and 9 cases of them had no complains.

MeSH Terms

Animals
Back Pain
Female
Humans
Incidence
Intervertebral Disc
Intervertebral Disc Displacement
Lordosis
Low Back Pain
Male
Postoperative Period
Scoliosis
Spine