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Sagittal balance parameters correlate with spinal conformational type and MRI changes in lumbar degenerative disc disease: results of a retrospective study

  • Original Article • SPINE - IMAGING
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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Spinopelvic parameters can be useful in identifying risk factors for lumbar degenerative disc disease, but few studies assess patients with single-level disc herniation and most do not evaluate symptoms. This comparative retrospective study was aimed to analyse spinopelvic parameters, symptoms and MRI changes in patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation undergoing conservative or surgical treatment.

Methods

Patients with clinical and radiological assessment (Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score) and an MRI evaluation of the lumbar spine were identified and divided into two groups: surgically treated (group A) and not requiring surgery (group B). Spinopelvic parameters were determined on standing profile radiographs of the lumbar spine and pelvis, and mean values were compared to those reported in the literature for normal subjects. MRI findings were graded according to the system described by Pfirrmann et al.

Results

The study included 71 patients with single-level lumbar disc herniation: 26 in group A (39.4 ± 12.1 years) and 45 in group B (51.4 ± 17.2 years). The notable differences in spinopelvic parameter means between the two groups did not reach statistical significance. A positive correlations of age with pelvic tilt and Pfirrmann changes with pelvic incidence was only found in group A, while both groups showed highly significant positive correlations of pelvic incidence with the spine’s conformational type (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Characteristic changes in spinopelvic parameters identified in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease were a reduction in pelvic incidence, sacral slope and lumbar lordosis, with an increased pelvic tilt. These were found to correlate with MRI changes in surgically treated patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology II, Pius Brînzeu Emergency County Hospital Timișoara, 156 Liviu Rebreanu Boulevard, 300723, Timisoara, Romania

    Mihai Mardare, Manuel Oprea, Iulian Popa & Dan V. Poenaru

  2. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureș, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu, 540139, Tirgu Mures, Romania

    Ancuța Zazgyva

  3. Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology I, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 19-21 Ștefan cel Mare Road, 020125, Bucharest, Romania

    Marius Niculescu

  4. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, 22 Dâmbovnicului, 040441, Sector 4, Bucharest, Romania

    Marius Niculescu

Authors
  1. Mihai Mardare
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  2. Manuel Oprea
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  3. Iulian Popa
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  4. Ancuța Zazgyva
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  5. Marius Niculescu
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  6. Dan V. Poenaru
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Correspondence to Marius Niculescu.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mardare, M., Oprea, M., Popa, I. et al. Sagittal balance parameters correlate with spinal conformational type and MRI changes in lumbar degenerative disc disease: results of a retrospective study. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 26, 735–743 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-016-1842-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-016-1842-3

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