A Comparative Study of Lumbar Lateral Recess Morphometry for CT-Myelography between Lumbar Canal Stenosis (Lateral Stenosis Type) and Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abstract

Thirty patients with surgically proved lumbar disc herniation and 25 with surgically proved LCS (lateral stenosis type) were studied retrospectively. Lumbar lateral recess morphometry (depth of the lateral recess, interfacetal diameter and interpedicular diameter) for CT-Myelography (CTM) was performed at the levels of L_3/4, L_4/5 and L_5/S. In the patients with LCS, depth of the lateral recess is narrow, which may tend to result in an entrapment of the nerve root at the peripheral portion of the canal and lateral recess. Also degeneration and hypertrophy of a superior articular facet may tend to progress with aging.