Prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae in Korean

Controversy exists about the lmbosacral transitional vertebrae(LSTV) causing low back pain and lumbar diskabnormalities such as herniated nucleus pulposus(HNP), early disk degeneration or annulus bulging. The prevalenceof the lumbosacral transitional vertebrae were evaluated. The classification of LSTV is presented based upon theradiomorphological changes of transverse process of the last presacral vertebra. The type I is dysplastictransverse process, type II is incomplete lumbarization/sacralization, type III is completelumbarization/sacralization, and type IV is mixed (type II and type III). Simple radiographic findings of (804patiets including)300 patients without low back pain, 400 patients with low back pain and 104 patients with diskabnormalities on CT scan have been analyzed. The prevalence of LSTV were 51.5% in normal control group, 40.8% inlow back pain group and 46.2% in disk abnormality group. The type I is regarded as the forerunner of a truetransitional vertebra and the prevalence of the true LSTB (type II, III, IV) were11.6% , 18.3% and 13.5% on eachgroups. The type II & III in low back pain group and type II in disk abnormality group were relatively increasedin incidence of LSTV than in normal control group. A patient with the type II or III of the LSTV may show low backpain more frequently than a patient without such a LSTV, The type II of LSTV may cause lumbar disk abnormalitiesmore frequently.