What abnormal results mean:

Lumbosacral spine x-rays may show:

• Abnormal curves of the spine
• Abnormal wear on the cartilage and bones of the lower spine, such as bone spurs and narrowing of the joints between the vertebrae
• Cancer (although cancer often cannot be seen on this type of x-ray)
• Fractures
• Signs of thinning bones (osteoporosis)
• Spondylolisthesis, in which a bone (vertebra) in the lower part of the spine slips out of the proper position onto the bone below it

Though some of these findings may be seen on an x-ray, they are not always caused by a person's back.

Many problems in the spine cannot be diagnosed using a lumbosacral x-ray, including:

• Sciatica
• Slipped or herniated disc
• Spinal stenosis - narrowing of the spinal column