I recently had an Mri in which it came back that I have an Broad-based disc bulge with facet joint arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy without significant spinal canal narrowing or nueroforaminal narrowing in the L4-L5 . Also, a Broad- based disc bulge without significant final canal narrowing or nueroforaminal narrowing in the L5- S1. What does this means?

--it means the discs of spongy material between your lower lumbar vertebrae in those areas are bulging, but not greatly--they are not herniated (which is when the material in them actually comes out through a small hole or rupture, which would be more serious).

The fact that they are bulging but apparently not invading the foraminal spaces--the foramen are the openings in the vertebrae through which the nerves (often referred to as roots) that connect to the spinal cord pass--or invading the spinal canal space very much is a good thing; there is no obvious pressure on the nerve roots or cord itself.

The real question is--what are your symptoms? MRI and other imaging results need to be correlated to symptomology.

Pain in lower back down toward the buttocks. Calf muscles are tight as if I have ran a mile in my sleep. Also what is facet joint arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy? Also is that common being I'm 37?

facet joint arthropathy is arthritis in the joints of the spine.

What Is Facet Arthropathy?:

Doc

Ah...a refreshing breath of common sense. Thank you Glenntaj! Your history, subjective complaints and clinical findings are really the most important findings. Diagnostic imaging is ordered to support clinical suspicion.

That said, your admitted MRI findings are suggestive of degenerative this and that, since there are no compressive findings that would obviously correlate with your "tight calves," but for lower back pain...probably. Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy exists usually with increased loading and some amount of disc collapse and most often is clinically significant when other issues of central compression co-exists (large or central herniation, disc-osteophytic complex, significant facet arthropathy or any condition or combination of the above that diminishes the dimensions of the central canal). I guess the take-away would be that diagnostic imaging is an expression of an instantaneous anatomical (non-physiologic) snap-shot of a moment in time and is only supportive (or not) of the reasons it was ordered. Follow-up with a good ortho or neuro would be instructive and other tests may be necessary!

Went back to doctor and had an x-ray of the hip which came back with mild degenerativechamges being present with osteophytes projecting off of the femoral necks bilaterally. What does this mean and could this and my back be causing my leg pains. I also found out I have moderate nueroforaminal narrowing on the right side of the C3- C4 with mild on the left. Could either one be causing leg pain.