Articles: low-back-pain.
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Comparative Study
Correlation of radiographic and MRI parameters to morphological and biochemical assessment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a common finding in MRI scans and X-rays. However, their correlation to morphological and biochemical changes is not well established. In this study, radiological and MRI parameters of DDD were assessed and compared with morphological and biochemical findings of disc degeneration. Thirty-nine human lumbar discs (L1-S1), age 19-86 years, were harvested from eight cadavers. Within 48 h postmortem, MRIs in various spin-echo sequences and biplanar radiographs of intact spines were obtained. Individual discs with endplates were then sectioned in the mid-sagittal plane and graded according to the morphological appearance. Samples from the nucleus of each disc were harvested for biochemical analysis including water and proteoglycan contents. On MRIs, T2-signal intensity, Modic changes, disc extension beyond the interspace (DEBIT), nucleus pulposus shape, annular tears, osteophytes and endplate integrity were graded. On radiographs, an independent observer classified the parameters disc height, endplate sclerosis, osteophytes, Schmorl's nodes, intradiscal calcifications and endplate shape. General linear-regression models were used for statistical analysis. Backward elimination with a 10% significance cut-off level was used to identify the most significant parameters, which then were summed to create composite scores for radiography, MRI and the combination of both methods. The grading was performed by three observers, and a reliability analysis using Cronbach's alpha model was used to control interobserver agreement. The three radiographic parameters height-loss, osteophytes and intradiscal calcifications correlated significantly with the morphological degree of degeneration (p<0.001, R2=642). Significant differences of even one morphological grade could also be differentiated in the composite radiological score (p<0.05), except at the extremes between grades 1 and 2 and grades 4 and 5. All MRI parameters correlated significantly with the morphological grade (p<0.05); however Modic changes, T2-intensity and osteophytes accounted for 83% of the variation in the data. T2-signal intensity correlated significantly with H2O and proteoglycan content (p<0.001), and was best for detecting highly degenerated discs. Regression showed that the combined score was better correlated with the morphological grade (p<0.001, R2=775) than either the composite radiographic (p<0.001, R2=642) or composite MRI (p<0.001, R2=696) alone. Based on the combined score, a backwards elimination of the regression was performed, in which the parameters Modic changes, and T2-intensity loss (MRI) as well as calcifications (X-ray) accounted for 87% of the variability. The interobserver validation showed a high correlation for all three scores (Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.95 to 0.97). ⋯ Selective imaging parameters and a newly created scoring scheme were found to correlate with disc degeneration as determined in a morphological manner. Surprisingly, radiographic parameters were able to distinguish different stages of degeneration, whereas MRI could only detect advanced stages of disc degeneration. We conclude that X-rays may remain a cost-effective, non-invasive in vivo-grading method to detect early disc degeneration, and, combined with MRI, correlate best with morphological and biochemical assessment of disc degeneration.
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Clinical Trial
Assessment of pain quality in chronic neuropathic and nociceptive pain clinical trials with the Neuropathic Pain Scale.
Although a number of measures of pain qualities exist, little research has examined the potential for these measures to identify the unique effects of pain treatments on different pain qualities. We examined the utility of the Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS) for assessing changes in pain qualities after open label lidocaine patch 5% in 3 samples of patients: patients with peripheral neuropathic pain, low back pain, and osteoarthritis. With one exception ("cold" pain in subjects with low back pain), each of the NPS items showed significant change after open label lidocaine patch. In addition, significantly larger changes were observed for the NPS items reflecting global pain intensity and pain unpleasantness and for items assessing sharp and deep pain than for items assessing cold, sensitive, and itchy pain. The pattern of changes in pain qualities did not differ across the 3 diagnostic groups, but it did differ from the patterns of changes in pain qualities associated with other analgesic treatments. The results support the potential utility of the NPS for assessing the patterns of changes in pain qualities that can be observed after pain treatment. ⋯ Pain clinical trials that include measures of pain qualities, such as the NPS, might identify distinct patterns of treatment effects on those pain qualities. This research might be used to help clinicians target analgesics to match the specific qualities associated with a patient's pain and to better understand the mechanisms of analgesic effects in drug development programs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A descriptive study of the usage of spinal manipulative therapy techniques within a randomized clinical trial in acute low back pain.
The majority of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of spinal manipulative therapy have not adequately defined the terms 'mobilization' and 'manipulation', nor distinguished between these terms in reporting the trial interventions. The purpose of this study was to describe the spinal manipulative therapy techniques utilized within a RCT of manipulative therapy (MT; n = 80), interferential therapy (IFT; n = 80), and a combination of both (CT; n = 80) for people with acute low back pain (LBP). Spinal manipulative therapy was defined as any 'mobilization' (low velocity manual force without a thrust) or 'manipulation' (high velocity thrust) techniques of the spine described by Maitland and Cyriax. ⋯ There was a significant difference between the MT and CT groups in their usage of spinal manipulative therapy techniques (chi2 = 9.178; df = 2; P = 0.01); subjects randomized to the CT group received three times more Cyriax Manipulation (29.2%, n = 21/72) than those randomized to the MT group (9.5%, n = 7/74; df = 1; P = 0.003). The use of mobilization techniques within the trial was comparable with their usage by the general population of physiotherapists in Britain and Ireland for LBP management. However, the usage of manipulation techniques was considerably higher than reported in physiotherapy surveys and may reflect the postgraduate training of trial therapists.
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · Feb 2005
Multicenter StudyThe Nordic back pain subpopulation program: a 1-year prospective multicenter study of outcomes of persistent low-back pain in chiropractic patients.
The aims of the study are to describe the low-back pain and disability status at baseline, the fourth visit, and at 3 and 12 months in Norwegian patients treated by chiropractors for persistent low back pain (LBP) and to describe movements between various subgroups over time. ⋯ The outcome pattern is similar to that found in other clinical studies. Treatment outcome should be measured early with follow-up at 3 rather than at 12 months, because patients will improve or recover quickly but may experience recurring problems. Numbers "cured" appear to be a feasible outcome variable in this type of study population.
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The ninth book of the German social code, SGB IX, has intensified questions on the effectiveness and usefulness of medical rehabilitation, a multimodal multidisciplinary team care model, especially but not exclusively for chronic back pain. In 2002 back pain was the reported leading cause for 29 % of all medical and other rehabilitative services provided by German statutory pension funds. A previous systematic review of all available German studies (January 1980 to June 2001) analysed the effectiveness of inpatient rehabilitation for chronic back pain. The present report provides an update and critical appraisal of the review. ⋯ The small size of medium term effects indicates a basic problem of inpatient rehabilitation for chronic back pain in Germany. This becomes even greater when the results of international controlled studies are used as reference. Possible reasons for the disappointing situation (weak methodology, inappropriate selection of patients, weak intervention) are to be discussed. At present, we have no convincing evidence for a general effectiveness of Germany's system of inpatient rehabilitation for chronic back pain.