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. 2019 Nov 20:84:e470-e477.
doi: 10.5114/pjr.2019.90227. eCollection 2019.

Evaluation of spinal-paraspinal parameters to determine segmentation of the vertebrae

Affiliations

Evaluation of spinal-paraspinal parameters to determine segmentation of the vertebrae

Elif Peker et al. Pol J Radiol. .

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate whether lumbar vertebrae can be correctly numbered using auxiliary parameters.

Material and methods: Vertebra 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.

Results: Lumbosacral 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%).

Conclusions: According 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.

Keywords: MRI; lumbarisation; lumbosacral transitional vertebra; sacralisation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Upper and lower end-plates of L5 vertebrae and S1 vertebrae were measured
Figure 2
Figure 2
The angle between the upper and lower borders of the last prominent disc was measured
Figure 3
Figure 3
Vertebra dimensions of the middle of the last two lumbar vertebrae corpuses were measured
Figure 4
Figure 4
The iliolumbar ligament was determined from the axial slices (circle), and the vertebra to which it was attached was noted

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