Morphology of the intervertebral foramen: a direct relation with low back pain

Low back pain is today a remarkably serious problem, not only in terms of health, but also socially and populationally, and it is, in most developed countries, a leading cause of disability. By its morphological features, the intervertebral foramen turns out to be the key in trying to manage the pathology of lumbar spinal region. We evaluated morphometrically the lumbar intervertebral foramen on 70 isolated lumbar vertebrae and 11 spinal blocks; the latter were sectioned to obtain easy access to components and dimensional values able to provide additional results, considered statistically and compared with literature. The results, presented in tables and graphics, are discussed in relation with actual literature.