Bmc Musculoskel Dis
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X-ray images of lumbar degenerative diseases often show not only claw osteophytes, but also pairs of osteophytes that form in a direction away from the adjacent disc. We have investigated the direction of the formation of anterior lumbar vertebral osteophytes across the lumbar vertebrae using a sufficient number of lumbar radiographs, because osteophytes images can provide essential information that will contribute to the understanding of the pathology and progress of lumbar spine degeneration. ⋯ Our study showed that pairs of osteophytes frequently formed in the direction of the adjacent disc in the upper lumbar vertebrae (L1-L2 and L2-L3) and in the direction away from the adjacent disc in middle or lower lumbar vertebrae (L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1).