The lumbar spine is made up of five lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5). The sacral spine is made up of five sacral vertebrae (S1-S5). The L5-S1 disc is located between the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae. This disc can be affected by a variety of conditions, including herniation, degeneration, and trauma.
When the L5-S1 disc is affected, it can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, numbness, and weakness in the lower back, buttocks, and legs. This is due to the fact that the L5-S1 disc is located near several important nerves. When the disc is affected, these nerves can become compressed, resulting in the aforementioned symptoms.
The most commonly affected nerves are the sciatic nerve, the femoral nerve, and the obturator nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down the back of each leg. Compression of the sciatic nerve can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.
The femoral nerve is located in the hip and thigh and runs down the front of the thigh to the knee. Compression of the femoral nerve can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the hip and thigh.
The obturator nerve is located in the pelvis and runs down the inner side of the thigh to the knee. Compression of the obturator nerve can cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the inner thigh.
In conclusion, the L5-S1 disc is located near several important nerves, which can become compressed when the disc is affected. The most commonly affected nerves are the sciatic nerve, the femoral nerve, and the obturator nerve, which can result in pain, numbness, and weakness in the lower back, buttocks, and legs.