[The relationship between lumbosacral transitional vertebra and the lumbar disc herniation].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between lumbosacral transitional vertebra and the lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: The X-ray photographs of lumbar vertebra were retrospectively studied of patients with and without LDH confirmed by surgery, furthermore, the differential incidence of LDH between the two groups and the relationship between transitional vertebra and the position of disc herniation were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra was 18.3% in the control group, 52.7% in the LDH group, the difference was statistically significant. In the group with single lumbosacral transitional vertebra, there was 75.9% of LDH occurred on the same side of the transitional vertebra, 81.8% of which occurred at the upper one disc of the transitional vertebra; whereas 17.2% of LDH on the opposite side of the transitional vertebra, 80.0% of which occurred at the lower one disc of the transitional vertebra. CONCLUSIONS: There is a closer relationship between lumbosacral transitional vertebra and the LDH, and the lumbosacral transitional vertebra is one of the important factors in the emergence of LDH.