Logo of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (Br)
Quick search:        
          Advanced Search
Guest Access | Sign In
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 88-B, Issue 9, 1183-1186.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.88B9.17211  
Copyright © 2006 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Japanese
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow My Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Quinlan, J. F.
Right arrow Articles by Eustace, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Quinlan, J. F.
Right arrow Articles by Eustace, S.

Bertolotti’s syndrome

A CAUSE OF BACK PAIN IN YOUNG PEOPLE

J. F. Quinlan, MCh, AF FRCSI, Orthopaedic Specialist Registrar1; D. Duke, MRCPI, Fellow of the Faculty of Radiologists, RCSI, Radiology Fellow1; and S. Eustace, MRCPI, Fellow of the Faculty of Radiologists, RCSI, Consultant Radiologist1

1 Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, Finglas, Dublin 11, Republic of Ireland.

Correspondence should be sent to Mr J. F. Quinlan at 35 Rockford Manor, Stradbrook, Blackrock, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland; e-mail: jfquinlan{at}hotmail.com

Bertolotti’s syndrome is characterised by anomalous enlargement of the transverse process(es) of the most caudal lumbar vertebra which may articulate or fuse with the sacrum or ilium and cause isolated L4/5 disc disease.

We analysed the elective MR scans of the lumbosacral spine of 769 consecutive patients with low back pain taken between July 2003 and November 2004. Of these 568 showed disc degeneration. Bertolotti’s syndrome was present in 35 patients with a mean age of 32.7 years (15 to 60). This was a younger age than that of patients with multiple disc degeneration, single-level disease and isolated disc degeneration at the L4/5 level (p ≤ 0.05). The overall incidence of Bertolotti’s syndrome in our study was 4.6% (35 of 769). It was present in 11.4% (20 patients) of the under-30 age group.

Our findings suggest that Bertolotti’s syndrome must form part of a list of differential diagnoses in the investigation of low back pain in young people.




eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Bertolotti's syndrome
Bruce N Summers
J Bone Joint Surg Br Online, 3 Oct 2006 [Full text]

(c) British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery All Rights Reserved
Registered charity no: 209299     Print ISSN: 0301-620X
Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General