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Clinical significance of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of lumbar spine in lower backache: An observational study.

Madihs Ariff*

Objective: To assess the clinical significance and effectiveness of lumbar Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with chronic lower backache and radiculopathies related to it. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted through a non-probability convenient sampling technique. This included 90 patients of both genders, between 20 to 75 years of age with a history of low back pain, numbness, and unilateral or bilateral lower limb radiculopathy, whereas excluded patients with a history of trauma, infection, tumor, metastasis, and vascular malformation. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Lumbar (L) spine was performed by Hitachi Airis Elite 3 tesla MRI scanner. The scans obtained at L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels. A Performa was used to collect data, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used for statistical analysis. Ethical approval and informed consent were maintained. Result: Out of a total of 90 patients, the mean age of the patients observed was 44.64 ± 15.67 years. 36.7% complained of bilateral lower limb radiculopathies, 48 (53.5%) patients had numbness, and 72 (80%) patients showed signs of disc desiccation and osteophytes formation, whereas 18 (20%) patients showed multi-level disc osteophyte complexes. 82 (91.1%) patients had diffuse disc bulge at L5-S1 spinal level. Neural foramina compromised in 90 (100%) patients at the L4-L5 level due to which there was a nerve root compression in 89 (98.9%) patients at this level. They mostly spared the L2-L3 level. About 89 (98.9%) patients had no facet joint hypertrophy at the L2-L3 level, and 100% of people did not show any significant ligamentum flavum hypertrophy at this level. Conclusion: Our study illustrated that the frequency of low back pain is much higher in both genders. Disc desiccation was frequent in patients with lower back pain. The most common targeted sites were L4-L5 and L5-S1 due to the nerve root, foraminal canal compressions, and spinal canal stenosis.