26th August 2020

A 57-year-old female presents to the Emergency Department with excruciating back pain

A 57-year-old female presents to the Emergency Department with excruciating back pain. It came on about an hour ago when she was trying to move her freezer. She tells you the pain is mostly in her lower back and is worse with motion. She says the pain also radiates down her legs but they do not feel numb or tingly. On examination, she is tender around the L4/5 level, range of motion is globally restricted due to pain and neurovascular examination shows mild bilateral weakness (power 4/5) in the lower limbs but no other deficits. Her upper limbs are normal. She has no other medical conditions. PR is normal.

Which of the diagnoses above is responsible for the presentations described? Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list above.