Female, 56 years old, with pain and pop at L2-3 after lifting heavy object. Pain radiates to upper buttocks. Symptoms of two weeks' duration. The last vertebral body bearing fully formed ribs will be designated T12. This numbering scheme gives five fully lumbar type vertebral bodies and a transitional S1 vertebral body.Spinal alignment is anatomic. Vertebral body heights are preserved. Patchy areas of fatty marrow signal are seen. No worrisome marrow replacement or evidence of marrow edema is detected.The visualized spinal cord, conus and cauda equina are within normal limits.Disc T2 signal diminishes slightly at lower lumbar levels but overall disc height is preserved throughout.L1-2: Unremarkable. L2-3: Unremarkable. L3-4: There may be a very small subchondral cyst along the left superior L4 endplate. Otherwise unremarkable. L4-5: Possible very small left foraminal disc protrusion. Slight effacement of the left lateral recess. No significant generalized spinal canal stenosis. No significant foraminal narrowing on either side. L5-S1: Moderate facet hypertrophy and ligamentum flavum thickening. Mildly bulging disc. Effacement of the right lateral thecal sac. Mild generalized spinal canal stenosis. No significant foraminal narrowing on either side. S1-S2: Facet hypertrophy greater on the right. No significant spinal canal or foraminal stenosis.
No large disc herniation, significant spinal canal or neuroforaminal stenosis is detected on this examination. At most, there may be a very small left foraminal disc protrusion at L4-5. Fairly substantial facet hypertrophy is also evident at L5-S1 and S1-2.