Classification of the Congenital Defect of the Lumbar Facet Joint: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Congenital lumbar facet joint defect is a rare congenital developmental disorder with only a few reported cases in the literature, primarily affecting the L5-S1 segments. This study reports the first case of a defect in the left L3 inferior articular process; and presents a review of the existing literature on the subject, proposes a classification system, and validates the inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of this classification system.

Case Presentation: A 14-year-old boy presented to our orthopedic clinic with persistent lower back pain for 1 month.