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What is facet hypertrophy?

Updated: 11/8/2022
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Background/Anatomy

The spine has 23 total pairs (46) of facet joints located at the back or rear portion of the spinal column. These are special gliding joints that are made by a flat projection (zygapophyseal process or projection) that comes from one spinal bone and meets or contacts to another flat projection that makes up a facet joint.

Each facet joint is covered in a thick layer of ligaments to support and hold the facet joint together.

Hypertrophy is a medical term that means that something (muscle, liver tissue, ligament) is larger or greater than it was originally.

In this case, the term usually suggests that the facet joint is larger or greater than normal due to increased size of the bony projection and the ligaments that are all part of the facet structure. This change of facet hypertrophy usually occurs as one of the first signs of spinal osteoarthritis. Arthritis causes the body to deposit new bone to these joints in an attempt to make these joints stronger and not break down.

Interpretation

Basically, your spinal joints have worn out a little bit. Facets are the rear part of your spine, where the joints meet. Hypertrophy means growth. Basically, arthritis in the spine.

Other language

Facet hypertrophy may be described as bilteral (occurring on both sides), left, or right.

It may be described as cervical, thoracic, or lumbar (in the upper, middle, or lower spine), by the two bones that form the joint (such as L3/L4 to note that it's the facet joint between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae), or multilevel.

The hypertrophy may be described by severity, such as mild, moderate, pronounced, advanced, minimal, etc.

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What is moderate bilateral facet hypertrophy at L5-S1?

what is bilateral facet hypertrophy at L5-S1


What is facet ligamentous hypertrophy?

Facet hypertrophy is an enlargement of the facet and ligament joint. Nerves in the spine can come under pressure if it increases.


Degenerative facet and ligamentous arthropathy?

The facet joints are located in the spinal canal. Bilateral facet arthropathy is arthritis in the facet joints of the back.


What causes moderate facet joint hypertrophy?

Spurs and hypertrophy of the ac level causes partial of subacromial fat signal


What is Bilateral facet and ligamentous hypertrophy?

Bilateral facet and ligamentous hypertrophy refers to the enlargement or overgrowth of the facet joints and ligaments in the spine. This condition often occurs as a result of degenerative changes in the spine, such as osteoarthritis. It can lead to spinal stenosis and nerve compression, causing symptoms like pain, numbness, and weakness in the back and legs.


What is marked degenerative facet disease?

what is facet degeneration at l5 and s1 at the rigight side


Is ligamentum flavum and facet hypertrophy the same as spinal stenosis?

They can be the contributors to the stenosis.


Posterior element hypertrophy?

Posterior element hypertrophy is a condition that affects the facet joint. In layman's terms, this essentially means that the joint has simply increased in size.


What is facet arthropathy with hypertrophy?

Hypertrophic facet joint is where the joint becomes enlarged as a result of degeneration. The joints are connected and impact the spinal vertebrae.


What is facet hypertrophy and uncovertebral hypertrophy?

The uncovertebral joints are in the neck between C3 - C7. These joints are where the discs meet. Hypertrophy in these joints means that an unusually high number of bone spurs are growing there. The most common cause of this is arthritis.


What does narrowing disc space noted with facet hypertrophy mean in medical terms?

Hypertrophy is a medical term that means that something (muscle, liver tissue, ligament) is larger or greater than it was originally. In this case, the term usually suggests that the facet joint is larger or greater than normal due to increased size of the bony projection and the ligaments that are all part of the facet structure. This change of facet hypertrophy usually occurs as one of the first signs of spinal osteoarthritis. Arthritis causes the body to deposit new bone to these joints in an attempt to make these joints stronger and not break down. The disc also becomes compressed as a person ages and the space between the two vertebrae narrows. Actually gravity can be blamed for this problem.


What does it mean when it says ligamentum flavum thickening and mild facet hypertrophy?

Ligamentum flavum is placed in the vertebral canal anterior to the spines of vertebrae and laminae of the vertebrae. Thickening of this ligament is common cause of spinal stenosis. Facet on the transverse process in enlarged in a given patient.