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Sagittal section through a degenerated
L5–SI foramen of a 68–year–old man with no history of back pain or
radiculopathy. The intervertebral disc is completely resorbed, note
the fusion of the endplates and the lcm wide zone of sclerotic bone.
Posteriorly hard dark outer annular layers project into the the
neuroforamen (root canal), the relatively small dorsal root ganglion
snugly follows the pedicle. The loss of disc height causes
subluxation of the facet joints; the tip of the superior articular
process erodes into the pars interarticularis of L5 and displays
reactive osteoarthrosis changes. The vertical, apparently less
loaded portion of the articular facet carries macroscopically
normal cartilage. Despite severe loss of segmental height, the
dorsal root ganglion and the foraminal vessels are still surrounded
by fat. |
©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/
