Radiology, Vol 170, 125-128, Copyright © 1989 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Prevalence of lumbosacral intervertebral disk abnormalities on MR images in pregnant and asymptomatic nonpregnant women

JC Weinreb, LB Wolbarsht, JM Cohen, CE Brown and KR Maravilla
Department of Radiology, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.

The prevalence of lumbosacral intervertebral disk bulge and herniation on sagittal magnetic resonance (MR) images was determined in 45 pregnant subjects and 41 asymptomatic nonpregnant women of childbearing age. MR technique differed for the pregnant and nonpregnant groups. Fifty-three percent of pregnant and 54% of nonpregnant women had an abnormal disk (bulge or herniation) at one or more levels (L3-4, L4-5, or L5-S1). The difference was not statistically significant. There was also no significant difference in the distribution of outcomes among the 45 pregnant subjects, 17 parous nonpregnant women, and 24 nulliparous women. The results suggest that lumbosacral disk bulges or herniations are common in women of childbearing age, whether pregnant or not, and that, contrary to an earlier report, pregnant women do not have an increased prevalence of disk abnormalities.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. A. Wong, B. M. Scavone, S. Dugan, J. C. Smith, H. Prather, J. N. Ganchiff, and R. J. McCarthy Incidence of Postpartum Lumbosacral Spine and Lower Extremity Nerve Injuries Obstet. Gynecol., February 1, 2003; 101(2): 279 - 288. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Jarvik and R. A. Deyo Diagnostic Evaluation of Low Back Pain with Emphasis on Imaging Ann Intern Med, October 1, 2002; 137(7): 586 - 597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. G. Borenstein, J. W. O'Mara, S. D. Boden, W. C. Lauerman, A. Jacobson, C. Platenberg, D. Schellinger, and S. W. Wiesel The Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine to Predict Low-Back Pain in Asymptomatic Subjects : A Seven-Year Follow-up Study J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., September 1, 2001; 83(9): 1306 - 1311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Weishaupt, M. R. Schmid, M. Zanetti, N. Boos, B. Romanowski, R. O. Kissling, J. Dvorak, and J. Hodler Positional MR Imaging of the Lumbar Spine: Does It Demonstrate Nerve Root Compromise Not Visible at Conventional MR Imaging? Radiology, April 1, 2000; 215(1): 247 - 253. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				L. Tesio, A. Raschi, and M. Meroni Autotraction treatment for low-back pain in pregnancy: a pilot study Clinical Rehabilitation, November 1, 1994; 8(4): 314 - 319. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. C. Jensen, M. N. Brant-Zawadzki, N. Obuchowski, M. T. Modic, D. Malkasian, and J. S. Ross Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People without Back Pain N. Engl. J. Med., July 14, 1994; 331(2): 69 - 73. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. D. Goldstein, P. E. Berger, G. E. Windler, and D. W. Jackson Spine injuries in gymnasts and swimmers: An epidemiologic investigation Am. J. Sports Med., September 1, 1991; 19(5): 463 - 468. [Abstract] [PDF]