Secondary lumbar spondylosis in University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria: Radiographic correlation with incidence and concomitant discovertebral pathologies

Abstract

Introduction: Lumbar spondylosis is an age-related degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine. It could be preceded by known discovertebral lesions resulting in secondary lumbar spondylosis. Objectives: To determine the incidence of secondary lumbar spondylosis using lumbosacral radiographic evaluations. Study Designs/Settings: A cross-sectional prospective study. Radiology Department, University of Uyo teaching hospital, Uyo, Nigeria. Patient Sample: Two hundred and sixty-two patients. Outcome Measured: Pathologies are evaluated based on features seen on twin lumbosacral radiographs that demonstrate secondary spondylosis. Materials and Methods: Anterior-posterior and lateral plain radiographs of patients were done under standardized conditions. Studied period was 1 st May, 2011 to 12 th July, 2012. Results were analyzed using SSPS 13. computer package. Results: A total of 262 patients aged 10-89 years with mean age of 48.9 and standard deviation of 25.4 were studied. Males were 138 and females were 124. 173 patients constituting 66.03% of the studied population had lumbar spondylosis. A total of 57 patients (female to male ratio − 1.36:1) had secondary lumbar spondylosis. This constituites 32.95% of population with spondylosis. Secondary lumbar spondylosis was commonest in the 4 th to 6 th decade. A total of 17.54% of patients with secondary spondylosis were younger than 40 years. The commonest associated pathology was spondylolisthesis, n=25 cases (43.86%) with female predominance. The least were septic spondylitis and trauma (1.75% each). Other conditions were osteoporosis, metastasis, lumbarization, spina bifida, and Pott's disease. Conclusions: The commonest coexistence with lumbar spondylosis in Uyo, Nigeria is lumbar spondylolisthesis.