Influence of lumbar intervertebral disc height and geometry of the articular plateau surface on disc pathologies

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the height of the intervertebral disc space and disc pathologies and the effect of differences in the vertebral articular surface on disc pathologies with regard to age groups. Material and Methods: A total of 754 patients examined by magnetic resonance imaging were reassessed in terms of the height of the anterior, middle, and posterior intervertebral disc space and the vertebral articular plateau surface type of the L4-L5 and L5-S1 intervertebral disc levels. Results: All L4-L5 intervertebral disc heights of all patients with any disc pathology were significantly lower than those in the normal group. For the L5-S1 disc level, anterior, middle, and posterior intervertebral disc heights of all patients with disc pathologies were significantly lower than those of the subjects without any disc pathology. There was a significant difference in the L4-L5 levels in discs with irregular articular plateau surfaces among patients in the age group of 25-40 years and for all patients as compared with normal and pathological discs. At the L5-S1 level, there were more disc pathologies in the flat and irregular articular plateaus in the group of patients older than 40 years. Discussion: The heights of the intervertebral disc spaces were significantly smaller in patients with disc herniations and in those with any disc pathology at both L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. The intervertebral disc levels of the L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs with irregular articular plateaus were observed to have significantly more disc herniations among all patients.