PurposeWe aimed to evaluate whether lumbar vertebrae can be correctly numbered using auxiliary parameters.Material and methodsVertebra corpus shape, O’Driscoll classification, lumbosacral axis angle, last two square vertebra dimensions, orifice of right renal artery (RRA), orifice of celiac truncus (CT), orifice of superior mesenteric artery (SMA), vena cava inferior confluence (CVC), abdominal aorta bifurcation (AB), and iliolumbar ligament were evaluated in this study.ResultsLumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) were observed in 13 (9%) patients. The most common locations of the paraspinal parameters were: RRA: L1 vertebrae (45%), SMA: L1 vertebrae (66%), CT: T12 vertebrae (46%), AB: L4 vertebrae (63%), and CVC: L4 vertebrae (52%).ConclusionsAccording to the results of our study, no single parameter in the magnetic resonance imaging can accurately indicate the number of vertebrae without counting the levels. As a result, we believe that these parameters may be suspicious in terms of the presence of LSTV rather than the correct level.