Retrolisthesis and Lumbar Disc Herniation: a Preoperative Assessment of Patient Function Michael Shen, Mda, Afshin Razi, Mda, Jon D

The Spine Journal 7 (2007) 406–413

Retrolisthesis and lumbar disc herniation: a preoperative assessment of patient function Michael Shen, MDa, Afshin Razi, MDa, Jon D. Lurie, MD, MSb,*, Brett Hanscom, MSc, Jim Weinstein, DO, MSc aOrthopaedic Surgery Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU/Hospital for Joint Diseases, 301 E. 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA bDepartment of Medicine (General Internal Medicine) and of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA cDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dartmouth Medical School, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755, USA Received 16 June 2006; accepted 15 August 2006

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Retrolisthesis is relatively rare but when present has been associated with increased back pain and impaired back function. Neither the prevalence of this condition in individuals with lumbar disc herniations nor its possible relation to preoperative back pain and dysfunction has been well studied. PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to determine the prevalence of retrolisthesis (alone or in combination with other degenerative conditions) in individuals with confirmed L5–S1 disc herniation who later underwent lumbar discectomy; (2) to determine if there is any association between retrolisthesis and degenerative changes within the same vertebral motion segment; and (3) to determine the relation between retrolisthesis (alone or in combination with other degenerative conditions) and preoperative low back pain, physical function, and quality of life. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Cross-sectional study. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 125 individuals were identified for incorporation into this study. All patients had confirmed L5–S1 disc herniation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and later underwent L5–S1 discectomy. All patients were enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) study; data were obtained from the multi-institutional database comprised of SPORT patients from across the United States. OUTCOME MEASURES: Retrolisthesis, degenerative change on MRI, and Modic changes. METHODS: MRI scans of the lumbar spine were assessed at spinal level L5–S1 for all 125 patients. Retrolisthesis was defined as posterior subluxation of 8% or more. Disc degeneration was defined as any loss of disc signal on T2 imaging. Modic changes were graded 1 to 3 and collectively classified as vertebral endplate degenerative changes. The presence of facet arthropathy and liga- mentum flavum hypertrophy was classified jointly as posterior degenerative changes. RESULTS: The overall incidence of retrolisthesis at L5–S1 in our study was 23.2%. Retrolisthesis combined with posterior degenerative changes, degenerative disc disease, or vertebral endplate changes had incidences of 4.8%, 16%, and 4.8% respectively. The prevalence of retrolisthesis did not vary by sex, age, race, smoking status, or education level when compared with individuals with normal sagittal alignment. However, individuals with retrolisthesis were more likely to be receiving workers’ compensation than those without retrolisthesis. Increased age was found to be associated with individuals having vertebral endplate degenerative changes (both alone and in con- junction with retrolisthesis) and degenerative disc disease. Individuals who had retrolisthesis with concomitant vertebral endplate degenerative changes were more often smokers and had no insur- ance. The presence of retrolisthesis was not associated with an increased incidence of having degenerative disc disease, posterior degenerative changes, or vertebral endplate changes. No

FDA device/drug status: not applicable. * Corresponding author. Dartmouth Medical School, One Medical The authors wish to acknowledge funding from the National Institute Center Dr, Lebanon, NH 03756. Tel.: (603) 653-3559; fax: (603) 653- of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS 3558. #U01-AR45444-01A1). E-mail address: [email protected] (J.D. Lurie)

statistical signiﬁcance was found between the presence of retrolisthesis on the degree of patient preoperative low back pain and physical function. Patients with degenerative disc disease were found to have increased leg pain compared with those patients without degenerative disc changes. CONCLUSIONS: We found no signiﬁcant relationship between retrolisthesis in patients with L5– S1 disc herniation and worse baseline pain or function. It is possible that the contribution of pain or dysfunction related to retrolisthesis was far overshadowed by the presence of symptoms caused by the concomitant disc herniation. It remains to be seen whether retrolisthesis will affect outcome after discectomy in these patients. Ó 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Retrolisthesis; Preoperative; Lumbar discectomy; Lumbar disc herniation; Back pain; Physical function; Degen- erative lumbar disease

Introduction (SPORT) randomized study, a muliticenter database of spine patients from 13 institutions across the United States. Retrolisthesis (backwards slippage of one vertebral body All individuals in the current study population had com- on another) has historically been regarded as an incidental plete sets of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans con- finding, one that does not cause any symptoms and is con- firming a L5–S1 level disc herniation and subsequently sidered to be of little or no clinical significance. Few stud- underwent L5–S1 discectomy. Individuals with anterolis- ies have been done to date, and little is known about this thesis were excluded from this study. One hundred condition. The literature has found a possible association twenty-five individuals between 2001 and 2004 were iden- between retrolisthesis and increased back pain and im- tified for inclusion in this study. paired back function [1–4]. Retrolisthesis may occur more commonly than initially believed. Series have shown that retrolisthesis may be pres- MRI scans ent in up to 30% of extension radiographs of patients com- MRI images of the lumbar spine were viewed and eval- plaining of chronic low back pain [5]. Retrolisthesis has uated on a digital monitor using eFilm Software (Merge been found to be associated with disc degeneration, eMed, Milwaukee, WI, USA). Clinical scans were col- decrease in lumbar lordosis, and decrease in vertebral lected so there was no predefined magnet strength or acqui- endplate angle [6–9]. sition protocol. All images were done supine. Little is known about the effect of retrolisthesis in patients with operative conditions such as lumbar disc herni- Vertebral measurements and assessment ation. Do individuals with lumbar disc herniations have increased levels of back pain, back dysfunction, and de- There are many published methods for determining the creased quality of life preoperatively if they have concom- amount of listhesis radiographically (expressed in millime- itant retrolisthesis at the involved herniated disc level? ters of subluxation or percent slippage) [10–15]. Retrolis- Does the presence of degenerative changes (disc degenera- thesis in this study was determined by measuring the tion, degenerative endplate changes, and posterior element position of the vertebral body of L5 relative to S1 on degenerative changes) along with retrolisthesis worsen the the central-most T1 sagittal magnetic resonance image. symptoms and/or possibly the prognosis in these operative The central sagittal image was determined by presence of cases? The purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to the lumbar spinous processes within the view, having a sym- determine the prevalence of retrolisthesis (alone or in com- metrical progression of MRI images from laterally based bination with other degenerative conditions) in a cohort of foraminal views to the central image and having the largest individuals with confirmed L5–S1 disc herniations who measured value for the anteroposterior diameter of L5 and later underwent lumbar discectomy; (2) to determine if S1 vertebral bodies. Points were then placed along the pos- there is any association between retrolisthesis and degener- terior margins of L5 and S1 on the central sagittal image to ative changes within the same vertebral motion segment; measure the amount of backward slippage to the nearest 0.1 and (3) to determine the relation between retrolisthesis mm. All measurements were performed electronically. (alone or in combination with other degenerative condi- Percent retrolisthesis was calculated by dividing the back- tions) and preoperative low back pain, physical function, wards subluxation of L5 by the anteroposterior diameter and quality of life. of S1. T1 and T2 axial and sagittal images were also used to assess for degenerative changes at the L5–S1 level. Three Materials and methods areas of L5–S1 evaluated for degenerative changes in- Study population cluded the disc space, vertebral endplates, and posterior elements. Loss of disc signal intensity on T2 imaging (sig- Individuals for this study were drawn from those en- nifying disc dehydration) was classified in this article as rolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial a sign of early disc degeneration and categorized as Download English Version: https://daneshyari.com/en/article/4100085

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