Association between Clinical Presentations and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Single Level Lumbar Disc Prolapse in a Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36570/jduhs.2025.2.2494Keywords:
Intervertebral Disc Displacement, Lumbar Vertebrae, Report, Time, Hospital, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, technology., Flat shoes, knee, low back pain, pes planus., Neurologic ExaminationAbstract
Objective: To determine the frequency of clinical presentations (neurological signs and symptoms) and assess their association with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with single-level lumbar disc prolapse.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, from August 2024 to December 2024. The study included adults over 18 years, with or without lower back or leg pain, who consented to MRI of the lumbosacral spine. Neurological signs and symptoms, including numbness, paresthesia, neurogenic claudication, motor weakness, and diminished reflexes, were assessed. Neurological deficit was defined as the presence of one or more symptoms. MRI findings were categorized by disc level, type of disc prolapse, and nerve root compression.
Results: Out of 85 patients with single-level disc prolapse, numbness was the most common clinical symptom reported in 44 (51.8%) patients. MRI most commonly revealed involvement at L5/S1 and L4/L5 i.e., 43 (50.6%) and 34 (40.0%). Neurological deficit was observed in 66 (77.6%) patients. There was no significant association between neurological deficit and disc level (p-value =0.913), character of disc bulge (p-value =0.460), and nerve root compression (p-value =0.348). However, patients clinically diagnosed with lumbar disc prolapse had a significantly higher prevalence of neurological deficit (p-value < 0.001).
Conclusion: Over three-fourths of patients with single-level lumbar disc prolapse had neurological deficits, with numbness being the most common symptom. No significant link was found between MRI findings and neurological deficits, but clinical diagnosis was strongly associated with them.
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