Hubungan Letak dan Lebar Konus Medullaris dengan Usia dan Jenis Kelamin pada Magnetic Resonance Imaging Vertebra Lumbal di Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat H. Adam Malik Medan

Abstract

Objective: Understanding patient characteristics, the distribution of the position and width of the conus medullaris with respect to age and gender using lumbar-sacral MRI imaging results. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study which subjects are patients who underwent lumbar MRI examinations at RS H. Adam Malik Medan from January 2022 to June 2023, with a sample size of 100 individuals. The subjects were selected using consecutive sampling. Lumbar MRI results were obtained and the position and width of the conus medullaris were determined. Data were analyzed using the Kormogorov-Smirnof statistical test. A significance level of less than 0.05 was applied to each statistical test. Results: From a study sample of 100 individuals, the majority of participants had an average age of 50.63 years, with the most common age group being 51-60 years. The gender distribution included 50 male and 50 female participants. Normal variations were observed in 2 samples with lumbalization and 6 samples with sacralization. The most prevalent complaint was back pain in 38 participants and the most common clinical diagnosis was herniated nucleus pulposus in 33 samples. The conus medullaris was most frequently located at the 1/3 middle of Th12 in 21 samples (21.0%). The average width of the conus medullaris was determined to be 5.40 ± 0.92 mm. The age range with the highest frequency (51-60 years) showed conus medullaris most commonly located at the Th12-L1 intervertebral disc in 7 samples. Bivariate analysis revealed no significant relationship between age and the position of the conus medullaris (p = 0.429) and no significant relationship between gender and the position of the conus medullaris (p = 0.88). Conclusion: The average age of the study participants was 50.63 ± 14.6 years, with the majority falling within the age range of 51-60 years. The gender distribution in the study was equal between males and females. The most common complaint among participants was back pain, while the most prevalent clinical diagnosis was herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). The most frequent location of the conus medullaris was in the 1/3 middle of Th12. Statistical tests indicated no significant relationship between age and the position of the conus medullaris and no correlation between the width of the conus medullaris and age.