The Relationship of Radiographic Parameters and Morphological Changes at Various Stages of Degeneration of the Lumbar Facet Joints: Cadaver Study
Byvaltsev V.A. Kalinin A.A. Shepelev V.V. Pestryakov Y.Y. Biryuchkov M.Y. Jubaeva B.A. Boddapati V. Lehman R.A. Riew K.D.
January 2024SAGE Publications Ltd
Global Spine Journal
2024#14Issue 1195 - 203 pp.
Study Design: Cadaveric specimens. Objective: To perform a pathomorphological analysis of the degree of facet joint (FJ) degeneration utilizing fresh cadaveric models and correlating these structural changes with imaging findings. Methods: L1-L5 FSU including all tissue between the anterior longitudinal ligament to the posterior spinal structures were obtained on 28 patients at a mean of 5.7 hours post-mortem. The samples were fixed in an agar medium and CT and MRI were performed. The level of FJ degeneration was identified based on prior classifications Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), as was the facet angle and tropism. Pathomorphological assessment including articular cartilage cell density was performed according to prior established methodology. Results: Radiographically, a direct association was identified between FJ degeneration and patient age. Facet angle and tropism did not significantly vary by patient age. Pathomorphologically, there was a decrease in the cellular density of articular cartilage with increasing patient age. Similarly, there was a significant direct correlation between radiographic degree of degenerative changes in FJs with the age of cadavers and the degree of degeneration of FJs according to the morphological classification of OARSI, as well as a significant inverse correlation with cell density. Conclusion: A comprehensive assessment of various signs of FJ degeneration using cadaveric material has established that, based on radiographic imaging, it is possible to assess the microstructural state of FJ, including at an early stage of the disease. This data may be useful for surgeons in guiding therapeutic strategies based on individual biometric parameters of the FJ.
cadaveric study , CT scan , degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine , facet joint, intervertebral disc , functional spinal unit, diagnostics , magnetic resonance imaging , morphological examination
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Department of Neurosurgery, Irkutsk State Medical University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Department of Neurosurgery, Railway Clinical Hospital, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, Irkutsk State Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Department of Neurosurgery, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Daniel and Jane Och Spine Hospital, New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical School, United States
Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Traumatology
Department of Neurosurgery
Daniel and Jane Och Spine Hospital
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Department of Neurological Surgery
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