Metrizamide Myelography and the Identification of Anomalous Lumbosacral Nerve Roots REPORT OF TWO CASES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Sciatica may be caused by anything that compromises the space available for the lower lumbar-nerve roots in either the spinal canal or the intervertebnal neural foran1ina. The normal relationships of the nerve root to the disc spaces, pedicles, and articulan processes must be ap-preciated if adequate decompression is to be accomplished during treatment of disc herniation or the more complex abnormalities due to stenosis of the lumbar spine ‘. This anatomical knowledge is essential if one is to recognize anomalies of the lower lumbar-nerve roots that may be en-countered during surgical treatment for lumbar radicu-lopathy. Several authors2 1.5.9 have emphasized the need to be on the lookout for these anatomical variants during any operation for sciatica, since in congenitally or develop-mentally compromised canals these variations can caus