The change of facet joint motility in lumbar spondylosis

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• 作者：Park ; Seung-Won ; Kim ; Young-Baeg ; Min ; Byung-Kook ; Hwang ; Sung-Nam ; Suk ; Jong-Sik
• 刊名：Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
• 出版年：1997
• 出版时间：July, 1997
• 年：1997
• 卷：99
• 期：Supplement 1
• 页码：S166
• 全文大小：161 K

文摘

The areas of the lumbar intervertebral foramina (IVF) were measured in flexion and extension lateral plain films to study facet joint motility in degenerative lumbar spondylosis. Facet joint motility, may indicate whether aging or degenerative processes would make the joint slack or stiff. This study included 30 patients with radiographic instability with or without grade I spondylolisthesis at L4-5 and 45 patients with only transient low back pain and normal radiographic findings. The 45 patients with low back pain only were divided into group I-V according to their ages. Those with spinal instability were grouped as VI. The areas (mm²) of the IVF at flexion and extension and the changes of the IVF areas with flexion and extension were measured at L1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 levels by using an image analyzing program (OPTIMAS 5.2). The IVF areas were significantly narrower at extension than flexion (p < 0.01). The major factors affecting the IVF areas at flexion or extension were the posteroinferior or anterosuperior displacement of the superior articular facet of the inferior vertebral body respectively. The changes of the IVF areas with motion were greatest at L4-5 and least at L1-2 level. In the group V (over 50 years of age), the areas of IVF in flexion and the changes of the area with flexion and extension were significantly decreased at L4-5 compared with younger age groups (p < 0.05). In the group VI, the areas of IVF in flexion and the changes of the area were significantly decreased at L3-4 and L4-5 compared with the other groups (p < 0.001). We concluded that the changes of the IVF areas decreased with aging and degenerative processes making the facet joint stiff.