The Different Sign of Nerve Root Sedimentation on MRI in Patients between Lumbar Spondylolisthesis and Lumbar Disc Herniation

TIAN Peng; FU Xin; SUN Xiaolei; DENG Shucai; MA Xinlong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-9896.2014.12.018

Abstract：Objective To evaluate and compare the presence of the nerve root sedimentation sign in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis (LS) and lumbar disc herniation(LDH). Methods One hundred and fifty-one patients with degen?erative lumbar spinal disease treated by surgery from July 2012 to March 2014 were reviewed retrospectively in Tianjin Hos?pital. All the patients were divided into two groups:LS group (48 cases) and LDH group (103 cases). The clinical outcomes were evaluated by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA). The probability of positive sedimentation sign was compared be?tween LS group and LDH group. Correlation between the JOA score and nerve root sedimentation sign were analysed in two groups. Results There was no statistical difference in JOA score between LS group and LDH group (15.83±3.57 vs 16.76± 3.10, t=1.624, P=0.107). A positive sedimentation sign was identified in 39 patients in the LS group (81.25%) but in 65 pa?tients in the LDH group (63.11%). The difference between LS group and LDH group was statistically significant(χ2=5.028, P=0.031). In LS group, JOA scores of patients with positive nerve root sedimentation sign were lower than those of patients with negative nerve root sedimentation sign(15.33±3.50 vs 18.00±3.20, t=2.092,P=0.042);but in LDH group, there was no statistical difference in JOA scores of patients between positive nerve root sedimentation sign and negative nerve root sedi?mentation sign (16.40±3.13 vs 17.37±2.99, t=1.539, P=0.127). Conclusion A positive sedimentation sign also occurs in pa?tients with LDH, but positive nerve root sedimentation sign are more likely to appear in patients with lumbar spondylolisthe?sis who have worse clinical symptoms.