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spondylotic and degenerative changes
Hello doctor,
I am 30 years old. I was diagnosed with spondyloarthritis 3 years back. But everytime my X-ray showed sacroiliitis, but not the MRI. Recently also i underwent a MRI which also did not detect any sacroiliitis. but the report stated:
•Evidence of early degeneration of the lower lumbar spine with multiple levels of degeneration
•L5-S1 shows disc degeneration with narrow disc space and diffuse posterior disc protrusion abutting the nerve roots of S1.
•L4-4 shows mild disc degeneration with diffuse posterior disc protrusion flattening the anterior aspect of the thecal sac and abutting the nerve roots of L5.
Picture is consistent of early lumbar spondylotic changes with multiple levels of disc degeneration and diffuse posterior disc protrusion at the level of L4-L5 and L5-S1 with abutting effect on L5 and S1 roots respectively.
Doctor, what does all this mean?
Thank you
I am 30 years old. I was diagnosed with spondyloarthritis 3 years back. But everytime my X-ray showed sacroiliitis, but not the MRI. Recently also i underwent a MRI which also did not detect any sacroiliitis. but the report stated:
•Evidence of early degeneration of the lower lumbar spine with multiple levels of degeneration
•L5-S1 shows disc degeneration with narrow disc space and diffuse posterior disc protrusion abutting the nerve roots of S1.
•L4-4 shows mild disc degeneration with diffuse posterior disc protrusion flattening the anterior aspect of the thecal sac and abutting the nerve roots of L5.
Picture is consistent of early lumbar spondylotic changes with multiple levels of disc degeneration and diffuse posterior disc protrusion at the level of L4-L5 and L5-S1 with abutting effect on L5 and S1 roots respectively.
Doctor, what does all this mean?
Thank you
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- Spondyloarthritis refers to inflammation of the intervertebral joints.
- Sacroilitis refers to inflammation of the sacroilial joint (joint between the hip bone and the lower back bone
- Spondylotic changes refer to degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the spinal vertebrae and/or neural foraminae.
- There is evidence of degeneration of the lower spine at multiple levels.
- At L5-S1 (lower spinal level) there is evidence of intervertebral disc disc degeneration with protrusion of the disc pushing it towards the adjacent nerve root (S1)
- At L4-L5 (one level higher in the lower spine) there is again disc protrusion that is causing pressure on the outer covering of the spinal cord (thecal sac) and lying close to the adjacent nerve root (L5)
Hope this was useful.
Take care!