Magnetic Resonance Image Research On Disc And Facet Joint Degeneration In Youth With Low-grade Lumbar Spondylolytic Spondylolisthesis

Objective:To evaluate Magnetic resonance images(MRI) manifestations ofadjacent disc and facet joint degeneration in youth with low-grade lumbarspondylolytic spondylolisthesis.Methods:We collect the MRI of patients who visited the Second hospital of JilinUniversity for low back pain and ischialgia from2011to2014to make aretrospective analysis.70cases were screened out according to a certainInclusion criteria. We chose30symptomatic patients between the ages of20-29years with mild L5/S1spondylolytic spondylolisthesis to use as aexperimental group. The rest symptomatic patients representing nospondylolytic spondylolisthesis were created to be the control group. Ourstudy was based on the MRI images of sagittal plane of disc and axialplane of intervertebral joint. After consulting Pfirrmann grading standardsfor disc degeneration and facet joints degenerated index, we determinedthe severity of disc and joints. Finally, Statistics were taken to analysize the relation between spondylolisthesis and degeneration of disc and facetjoints.Results:There were statistically significant degenerative changes of the discsand facet joints at the olisthetic and adjacent levels of patients withspondylolytic spondylolisthesis compared with the reference group. Thereis a trend that the disc and facet joints degenerate the most at theolisthetic level and become less affected at adjacent levels away from thelesion of pars defect. Conclusion: Low-grade spondylolyticspondylolisthesis was associated with significant degenerations of thedisc and facet joints at olisthetic and adjacent levels in young adults.Conclusion:Low-grade spondylolytic spondylolisthesis was associated withsignificant degenerations of the disc and facet joints at olisthetic andadjacent levels in young adults.