Bibliogr. s. 56

Background: Imaging investigations (radiculography, X-ray, CT, MRI) constitute an integral part of the therapeutic process in the treatment of patients suffering from lumbar discopathy. The results obtained with the imaging techniques provide the crucial data concerning the stage of disease development; assist the choice of optimal therapy method and the evaluation of the therapeutic actions efficiency. The aim of the study was to analyze the results of CT and MRI investigations carried out on patients suffering from lumbar discopathy, who had been treated with conservative or surgical methods. Material/Methods: 665 patients aged between 16 and 76 years with discopathy at L4-L5, L5-S1 levels were enrolled to the study. In the analyzed group, 348 patients received only conservative therapy whereas 317 patients underwent surgical procedures. CT and MRI investigations were applied at the beginning of the observation (W), after three years (III) and after ten years (X) since the operation (or exclusively conservative treatment). The results obtained with imaging techniques were divided into three categories: intradiscal, peridiscal and disc-related changes caused by herniation of vertebral discs. Results: During the subsequent periods of inspection, the rising number of degenerative changes was found. The progression of the imaging technique results concerned both the L4-L5, L5-S1 spaces, which showed distortion initially, and the L3-L4, L2-L3 levels, which were not degenerated in the preliminary examination. The remote examination showed that the number of degenerations in the two examined groups was substantially higher than it had been during the preliminary examination. The total number of degenerative changes among the patients operated on was higher than among the patients in conservative treatment. Conclusions: The number of degenerative changes of the spine grows from level L2-L3 to level L5-S1. The stage of spinal degenerative changes rises along with the duration of the disease. The patients operated on show more degenerative changes than those in conservative treatment.