Abstract
Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between the topography of the reported symptoms of ‘mechanical’ lower back pain and the findings from the MRI of the lumbar spine.
Methods: Topography (‘pain charts’) of the lower back pain (upper, middle, lower lumbar and sacro-iliac areas) and the MRI findings (disc morphology, Modic-type end plate changes, presence and degree of spondylolisthesis) of 230 consecutive patients with ‘mechanical’ lower back pain without neurological symptoms were studied. Chi-square test was used for the statistical analysis.
Results: Analysis showed that the presence of L5/S1 level pathology is associated (p=0.018) with pain in the middle lumbar area. No other statistically significant association between pathology of another level and pain in other lumbar areas was observed.
Conclusions: Contrary to the general belief, pathology of the lowest lumbar spinal level as diagnosed from MRI may be associated with pain in the middle lumbar area while other pathological levels are not necessarily associated with specific areas of pain in the lower back.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Roger Lemaire. Correspondence should be addressed to EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
