How Reliable Are Routine Radiological Imaging Methods in Diagnosing Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae and Identifying the Pathological Disc Level?

The aim of this study is to evaluate how accurately transitional vertebrae can be identified using routinely employed clinical imaging methods, including thoracolumbar direct radiography and lumbar MRI with axial and sagittal sequences. The study also seeks to determine how anatomical markers commonly used in the literature for vertebral level identification correspond to vertebral levels in the Turkish population, and whether a new potential relationship between these anatomical markers can be identified to improve accurate vertebral numbering. Additionally, the study will assess the relationship between thoracolumbar transitional vertebra (TLTV) and lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) variations, and ultimately aims to provide new data to determine which imaging-based approach offers the highest diagnostic accuracy.

NCT Number	NCT07256366
Lead Sponsor	Marmara University
Conditions	Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebrae, Thoracolumbar Transitional Vertebra, Vertebral Level Misidentification, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Spinal Imaging Accuracy
Enrollment	250 participants
Start Date	2025-12-15
Primary Completion	2026-03-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-06-15 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-12-01