Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae and Its Prevalence in the Australian Population

Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Objective Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are a common congenital anomaly, and they can be accurately identified on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs of the lumbosacral spine. This study attempts to determine the prevalence of this congenital anomaly...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Global spine journal Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 229 - 232
Main Authors:	French, Heath D., Somasundaram, Arjuna J., Schaefer, Nathan R., Laherty, Richard W.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-12-2014 Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Subjects:	lumbosacral transitional vertebrae spinal surgery sacralization lumbarization
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Objective Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are a common congenital anomaly, and they can be accurately identified on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs of the lumbosacral spine. This study attempts to determine the prevalence of this congenital anomaly and to increase awareness among all clinicians to reduce the risk of surgical and procedural errors in patients with LSTV. Methods A retrospective review of 5,941 AP and lateral lumbar radiographs was performed. Transitional vertebrae were identified and categorized under the Castellvi classification. Results The prevalence of LSTV in the study population was 9.9%. Lumbarized S1 and sacralized L5 were seen in 5.8 and 4.1% of patients, respectively. Conclusion LSTV are a common normal variant and can be a factor in spinal surgery at incorrect levels. It is essential that all clinicians are aware of this common congenital anomaly.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2192-5682 2192-5690
DOI:	10.1055/s-0034-1387808