Evaluation of Lumbar Spine Morphology in Magnetic Resonance Images Using Cobb's Method

Abstract

Lumbar lordosis represents one of the most prevalent postural disorders; it is classified as significant lumbar curving in the vertebral column's sagittal plane. The study's aims were to investigate lumbar spine morphology in Sudanese patients using Cobb's approach, as well as magnetic resonance imaging sagittal T2-weighted images. It was carried out between August 2015 and August 2016 in Khartoum Sudan's Advanced Diagnostic Center and Baraha Medical City hospital, with 140 patients (55 male and 85 female patients). The controlled cases involved in this study consisted of 40 patients (10 male and 30 female patients), ranging in age from 13 to 90 years. The results revealed substantial variation between the population having normal health and disc herniated patients in the Cobb angle (P = .000) and intervertebral disc space of L3 (P = .011), but no substantial improvement (P > .05) between individuals with abnormal values and control individuals in the lumbosacral angle, L1-L5 body vertebrae, and L1, L2, L4, and L5 intervertebral disc levels. In addition, there was a notable change among the LS and Cobb angles in the patients with abnormal values (P = .045), but not in the control individuals (P = .691). We discovered a straight linear correlation among the Cobb angle and vertebral body L5-L2 in patients with bulged disc at various levels, as well as the Cobb angle and the L5-L2 intervertebral disc spaces also exhibit an indirect linear connection. It is concluded that magnetic resonance imaging is good for diagnosing disease associated with soft tissues, particularly the spinal discs that are frequently affected and cause low back problems.