Lumbosacral and Spinopelvic Anatomy and Pathology - 70 Year Old

Degenerated Lumbar Spine of a 70–Year–Old male

Degenerated lumbar spine of a 70–year–old man with a history of long–standing low back pain. Anteriorly at L4 a (red) segmental artery comes into view, at L5 the left iliac artery (red) and vein (black) lie close to the spine. The L4–L5 disc is severely degenerated and shows loose fragments, complete destruction of the cartilaginous endplates, vacuoles and calcification and anteriorly projecting osteophytes (spondylosis ridges). The posterior annulus occupies the lower half of the foramen, the upper (subpedicular) foramen portion is encroached on by redundant ligamentum flavum. The L4–L5 facet joint is subluxed due to loss of disc height and a pink–colored meniscoid synovial fold is caught in the upper joint space. At L5 the cartilaginous endplates have partially fused, the outermost annulus projects posteriorly and lies underneath the L5 root.

©2000 Wolfgang Rauschning, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Clinical Anatomy
Academic University Hospital
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Uppsala, Sweden
Reproduction without permission is prohibited
http://www.akademiska.se/