L5 is the most inferior lumbar vertebra and the site of the most common lumbar disc herniation at the L5–S1 level, affecting the L5 nerve root which controls dorsiflexion, big toe extension, and the lateral leg sensation.
L5 is the most common site of spondylolysis (pars interarticularis stress fracture) and the resulting spondylolisthesis (forward slip on S1). L5-S1 is the most common lumbar disc herniation level, compressing the S1 root to produce posterior leg and lateral foot pain, absent ankle reflex, and plantarflexion weakness. L5 has the largest and most wedge-shaped body of the lumbar vertebrae, contributing to the lumbosacral angle.
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