Prevalence of facet joint arthrosis in lumbago patients–CT scan evaluation

Abstract

IntroductionThere are multiple causes of low back pain (LBP), the leading ones being degeneration of intervertebral disc, lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS) and facet joint arthrosis(FJA). There are number of studies done earlier on disc degeneration and LSS, however the studies on facet joint arthrosis are limited and incomplete. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of FJA of lumbar spine in lumbago patients of Delhi NCR region of India. MethodThe present study was conducted in the Departments of Radiodiagnosis of Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad and Safdarjung Hospitals, New Delhi. Thirty eight patients were selected for CT scan imaging after pre-defined questionnaire and informed consent. The images were assessed on Philips Dicom viewer for facet joint arthritic changes. ResultsA high prevalence of 52.6% was seen in cases of LBP. FJA was seen in 80% of female cases and the highest prevalence of arthrosis was seen at lumbar spinal level of L4-L5. DiscussionFacet joint arthrosis plays an important role in low back pain. The prevalence of FJA increases caudally from L1 to L5, with the highest incidence being at the L4–L5 spinal level. The prevalence of FJA is seen more in females than males.