Abnormal findings of the lumbosacral junction are often detected with ultrasonography and include: 1) congenital abnormalities such as lumbosacral ankylosis (sacralization of L6) or intervertebral ankylosis between L5 and L6; 2) disk degenerative lesions, especially on the lumbosacral disk. These lesions include fissuration or cavitation of the disk, dystrophic mineralization and ventral herniation; 3) intervertebral malalignment (spondylolisthesis) of the lumbosacral joint or the joint between L5 and L6; and 4) intertransverse lumbosacral osteoarthrosis (periarticular osteophytes or remodeling can be seen on the joint margins).

Last full review/revision March 2012 by Stephen B. Adams, DVM, MS, DACVS; Andrew L. Crawford, BVetMed, CertES (Orth), MRCVS; James K. Belknap, DVM, PhD, DACVS; Jane C. Boswell, MA, VetMB, CertVA, CertES (Orth), DECVS, MRCVS; Peter Clegg, MA, Vet MB, PhD, CertEO, DECVS, MRCVS; Marcus J. Head, BVetMed, MRCVS; C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, DSc, FRCVS, DACVS; James Schumacher, DVM, MS, DACVS, MRCVS; John Schumacher, DVM, MS, DACVS, MRCVS; Roger K. W. Smith, MA, VetMB, PhD, DEO, DECVS, MRCVS; Chris Whitton, BVSc, FACVSc, PhD; Jean-Marie Denoix, DVM, PhD, Agregé; Joerg A. Auer, DrMedVet, Dr h c, MS, DACVS, DECVS