Lumbar Spine Disorders
A 42-year-old construction worker presents with 6 weeks of left leg pain radiating from the buttock to the lateral calf and dorsum of the foot. He has weakness of ankle dorsiflexion and great toe extension (4/5) and a diminished ankle reflex. Straight leg raise is positive at 30 degrees on the left. MRI shows a large left posterolateral disc herniation at L4-L5. Regarding lumbar disc herniation:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
L4-L5 and L5-S1 account for 95% of lumbar disc herniations; the posterolateral direction is most com...
L5 radiculopathy presents with: motor weakness of ankle dorsiflexion (tibialis anterior) and great t...
L4-L5 posterolateral herniation compresses the L4 root; the most common level is L2-L3; the straight...
Most lumbar disc herniations (85-90%) improve with conservative treatment including NSAIDs, physical...
Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a surgical emergency characterized by bilateral leg pain/weakness, sa...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option