Diagnosis and Treatment of Rheumatoid Shoulder

Shoulder joint involvement is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the clinical manifestations are nonspecific.Shoulder joint destruction in the patients with RA gradually occurs, resulting in decreased function. In rheumatoid shoulder, loss of cartilage and soft tissue degeneration coexists with pain and reduced range of motion. To avoid the joint destruction, early detection of inflammation in the shoulder joints is necessary. Therefore, shoulder involvement should be checked routinely and detected early. Radiograph of the rheumatoid shoulder provides essential guidance for treatment decisions. The development of glenohumeral joint space narrowing on radiograph is a turning point that indicates a risk of rapid joint destruction. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are useful for assessing the lesions and guiding the treatment strategy. The goals of treatment in rheumatoid shoulder are to relieve pain and to restore function. This is accomplished by early detection, proper medication, intervention, rehabilitation, and operation.

Korean Pain Descriptors in Patients with Neuromusculoskeletal Pain

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate which Korean pain descriptors are frequently used in the patients with neuromusculoskeletal diseases and compare the frequency of Korean pain descriptor according to age, gender, pain pattern and intensity, and clinical diagnosis.METHOD: Two hundreds sixty nine patients with neuromusculoskeletal diseases were enrolled in this study. The patients were asked to fill out a pain questionnaire using Korean. The Korean pain descriptors were collected and classified according to neurophysiological mechanism. The frequency of Korean pain descriptor was analyzed by age, gender, pain pattern and intensity, and clinical diagnosis. They were divided into axial spine and peripheral joint pain group depending on the location of causal disease and shoulder pain descriptors were divided into intra-articular and bursa group.RESULTS: Among 24 Korean pain descriptors, ‘arida’ was the most common pain descriptor, followed by ‘ssusida’ and ‘jjireunda’. When the pain descriptors were classified according to neurophysiological mechanism, superficial somatic pain was the most common, followed by deep somatic pain. There was a significant difference in the frequency of the pain descriptor between axial spine and peripheral joint pain group (p=0.007). The pain descriptor ‘danggida’ was used significantly more in the patients with axial spine pain than peripheral joint pain (p=0.024). However, there was no significant difference in other factors.CONCLUSION: The patients with neuromusculoskeletal diseases expressed their pain using various Korean pain descriptors with stabbing nature and superficial somatic pain. Our results may be helpful to assess and develop a new Korean pain quality measure in the patients with neuromusculoskeletal diseases.

Role of Ultrasonography in Diagnosis and Treatment of Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder (FS) is a common, painful and disabling condition of the shoulder. Patients usually present with an insidious onset of symptoms with gradual restriction and loss of shoulder mobility. FS can be categorized into primary and secondary types. The natural course of FS is characterized by the following 3 stages: the painful, the freezing/frozen, and the thawing phase based on the duration of symptoms, as well as pain and limitation of motion observed on physical examination. Diagnosis of FS is based on careful and accurate history taking and physical examination. Imaging modalities including arthrography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are useful in excluding concomitant painful conditions of the shoulder and in confirming FS. Ultrasonography is recommended as the first-line imaging modality to diagnose FS because it is noninvasive, it provides an easy comparison of ultrasonography parameters between the affected and unaffected sides, and it reflects the clinical characteristics of FS. The goal of treatment in patients with FS is pain reduction and restoration of normal function and mobility of the shoulder. Ultrasonography-guided glenohumeral joint injection, suprascapular nerve block, and distention arthrography achieve favorable therapeutic outcomes by virtue of greater accuracy. Ultrasonography and ultrasonography guided injections can accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients with FS.

Thrombosed Fusiform Dilatation of Persistent Median Artery with Normal Median Nerve

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be produced by abnormal mass effect due to trauma, ganglion cysts, various soft tissue tumors, musculotendinous variants, and aberrant vascular structures. Persistent median artery is one of the causes of the carpal tunnel syndrome. Thrombosed persistent median artery usually accompanies the anomaly of the median nerve and causes a sudden onset of severe pain and paresthesia. In contrast to previous literature, we report the rare case of gradual onset and mild symptom of a 53-year-old man with a thrombosed persistent median artery but without anomaly of the median nerve and abnormal finding of electrophysiologic study.

Augmentation of respiratory muscle activities in preterm infants with feeding desaturation / 소아과

PURPOSE: Frequent desaturation due to immature incoordination of suck-swallow-breathing in preterm infants can influence multiple organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain, which can then affect growth and development. Most notably in preterm infants, feeding desaturation may even affect pulmonary function during gavage feeding. Because respiratory muscle activities may reflect the work required during respiration, we evaluated the differences in these activities between full-term and preterm infants with feeding desaturation, and investigated the correlations with clinical variables. METHODS: Nineteen preterm infants with feeding desaturation (group 1) and 19 age-matched full-term infants (group 2) were evaluated. Oromotor function was evaluated using video recording. The root-mean-squre (RMS) envelope of the electromyography signal was calculated to quantify the activities of muscles involved in respiration. The differences in RMS between both groups and the correlation with clinical variables including gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), and Apgar scores (AS) at 1 and 5 minutes after birth were evaluated. RESULTS: The RMS values of the diaphragm (RMS-D) and rectus abdominis (RMS-R) were significantly greater in group 1 compared to group 2, and the 1- and 5-min AS were significantly lower in group 1 compared to group 2. RMS-D and RMS-R were inversely correlated with GA, BW, 1- and 5-min AS in all infants. CONCLUSION: This study showed that respiratory muscle activities were augmented during feeding in preterm infants compared to full-term infants. Additionally, respiratory muscle activities were inversely correlated with all clinical variables.

Therapeutic Effect of Microcurrent Therapy in Children With In-toeing Gait Caused by Increased Femoral Anteversion: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of portable microcurrent therapy device (PMTD) of the hip internal rotators in the treatment of in-toeing gait caused by increased femoral anteversion in children over 8 years of age. METHODS: Eleven children (22 legs; 4 boys and 7 girls; mean age, 10.4±1.6 years) with in-toeing gait caused by increased femoral anteversion were included in the present study. All children received 60 minutes of PMTD (intensity, 25 µA; frequency, 8 Hz) applied to the hip internal rotators daily for 4 weeks. Hip internal rotation (IR) angle, external rotation (ER) angle, and midmalleolar-second toe angle (MSTA) measurement during stance phase at transverse plane and Family Satisfaction Questionnaire, frequency of tripping and fatigue like pains about the PMTD were performed before treatment and at 4 weeks after initial PMTD treatment. Paired t-test and Fisher exact test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Hip IR/ER/MSTA was 70.3°±5.4°/20.1°±5.5°/–11.4°±2.7°, and 55.7°±7.8°/33.6°±8.2°/–2.6°±3.8° before treatment and at 4 weeks after initial PMTD treatment, respectively (p<0.01). Ten of 11 (91%) children's family stated that they were generally satisfied with the PMTD treatment. The frequency of tripping and fatigue like pains was significantly lower at 4 weeks after PMTD treatment (p<0.05). Excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was observed for repeated MSTA measurements between the examiners (k=0.91–0.96 and k=0.93–0.99), respectively. CONCLUSION: PMTD of the hip internal rotators can be effective in improving the gait pattern of children with in-toeing gait caused by increased femoral anteversion.

Ultrasonographic measurement of the axillary recess thickness in an asymptomatic shoulder

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the axillary recess (AR) thickness in an asymptomatic shoulder by using ultrasonography (US) and to analyze the factors affecting it. METHODS: We recruited 141 patients (52 males; 89 females; age, 57.7±9.9 years) with unilateral shoulder pain and performed US on the unaffected shoulder. Two physiatrists measured the AR thickness of the unaffected shoulder independently. All patients were examined in an upright sitting position with 90° shoulder abduction. The ultrasonographic transducer was placed longitudinally on the mid-axillary line and along the long axis of the humeral shaft. The factors affecting the AR thickness values were analyzed, and intra-class correlation coefficients were used for assessing the reproducibility of each measurement. RESULTS: The intrarater reliability values for the two physiatrists were 0.98 and 0.96, respectively. The inter-rater reliability of the mean AR thickness measurements was 0.91. The mean AR thickness in all subjects, males, and females was 2.8±0.6 mm, 3.1±0.6 mm, and 2.6±0.5 mm (P<0.01), respectively. No difference between the left and the right sides (males, P=0.086; females, P=0.535) or between the dominant and the non-dominant sides (males, P=0.173; female, P=0.244) was found. The AR thickness correlated positively with the height (r=0.313, P<0.01) and the weight (r=0.319, P<0.01). However, it did not correlate with the body mass index (r=0.152, P=0.077) or the age (r=-0.056, P=0.515). CONCLUSION: US measurements of the AR thickness in asymptomatic shoulders demonstrated excellent intrarater and inter-rater reliabilities. The AR thickness showed anatomical variation with sex, height, and weight.

Therapeutic Effect of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy According to Treatment Session on Gastrocnemius Muscle Spasticity in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) according to treatment session on gastrocnemius muscle spasticity in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Twelve children with spastic CP underwent 1 ESWT and 2 sham ESWT sessions for gastrocnemius (group 1) or 3 ESWT sessions (group 2) once per week for 3 weeks. Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score, passive range of motion (PROM) of the ankle plantar-flexor muscles with knee extension, and median red pixel intensity (RPI) of color histogram of medial gastrocnemius on real-time sonoelastography (RTS) were measured before ESWT, immediately after the first and third ESWT, and at 4 weeks after the third ESWT. RESULTS: Mean ankle PROM was significantly increased whereas as mean ankle MAS and median gastrocnemius RPI were significantly decreased in both groups after the first ESWT. Clinical and RTS parameters before ESWT were not significantly different from those immediately after the third ESWT or at 4 weeks after the third ESWT in group 1. However, they were significantly different from those immediately after the third ESWT or at 4 weeks after the third ESWT in group 2. Mean ankle PROM, mean ankle MAS, and median gastrocnemius RPI in group 2 were significantly different from that in group 1 at 4 weeks or immediately after the third ESWT. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of ESWT on spastic medial gastrocnemius in children with spastic CP is dependent on the number of ESWT sessions.

A New Ultrasound Method for Assessment of Head Shape Change in Infants With Plagiocephaly

OBJECTIVE: To compare a new ultrasound measurement method with calliper cephalometry in infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP) and to assess the differences of two methods according to the severity of DP. METHODS: Fifty-two infants with DP were divided into two groups according to the degree of cranial vault asymmetry (CVA); group 1 included 42 infants with CVA over 10 mm, and group 2 included 10 infants with CVA under 10 mm. Cranial vault asymmetry index (CVAI) and occipital angle ratio (OAR) were measured by using calliper and ultrasound measurements, respectively. The occipital angle was defined as the angle between the lines projected along the lambdoid sutures of the skull. RESULTS: The occipital angles of the affected sides were significantly greater than those of unaffected sides in both groups. The CVAI and OAR were significantly greater in group 1 than in group 2 (CVAI, 9.3%+/-2.3% vs. 4.6%+/-1.5%; OAR, 1.05+/-0.4 vs. 1.01+/-0.0; p<0.05). The OAR was positively correlated with the CVAI in all infants (r=0.789) and in group 1 (r=0.784; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that OAR using the new ultrasound measurement was positively correlated with the CVAI in infants with DP. Therefore, the occipital angle measurement using ultrasound combined with cephalometry could provide better understanding about the characteristics of the overall cranial bone and lambdoid suture complex in infants with DP.

Comparison of Treatment Effects Between Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy Under and Over Five Years After Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether age influences a change in the spasticity of the ankle plantar flexor after botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injection in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Sixteen children with spastic CP were enrolled in the study. Seven children (group 1) were under 5 years of age, and nine (group 2) were over 5 years of age. They all received BTA injection in the gastrocnemius muscle (GCM) under ultrasound guidance. Passive range of motion (PROM) of ankle dorsiflexion, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) of the ankle plantar flexor, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and median red pixel intensity (RPI) of the medial GCM on real-time sonoelastography were measured at baseline (pre-injection) and 1-, 3-, and 6-month post-injection. RESULTS: In both groups, the mean PROM, MAS, and RPI were significantly improved after injection until 6-month post-injection. The change of PROM of ankle dorsiflexion in group 1 was significantly greater than that in group 2, until 6-month post-injection. The change in the MAS and GMFM between baseline and 6-month post-injection in group 1 was greater than that in group 2. The changes in the median RPI between baseline and 3- and 6-month post-injections were greater in group 1 than in group 2. CONCLUSION: Our pilot study demonstrated the different changes in spasticity of the ankle plantar flexor after BTA injection based on age. Therefore, age may be considered when establishing a treatment plan using BTA injection for children with spastic CP.

Comparison of Treatment Effects Between Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy Under and Over Five Years After Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether age influences a change in the spasticity of the ankle plantar flexor after botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injection in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Sixteen children with spastic CP were enrolled in the study. Seven children (group 1) were under 5 years of age, and nine (group 2) were over 5 years of age. They all received BTA injection in the gastrocnemius muscle (GCM) under ultrasound guidance. Passive range of motion (PROM) of ankle dorsiflexion, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) of the ankle plantar flexor, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and median red pixel intensity (RPI) of the medial GCM on real-time sonoelastography were measured at baseline (pre-injection) and 1-, 3-, and 6-month post-injection. RESULTS: In both groups, the mean PROM, MAS, and RPI were significantly improved after injection until 6-month post-injection. The change of PROM of ankle dorsiflexion in group 1 was significantly greater than that in group 2, until 6-month post-injection. The change in the MAS and GMFM between baseline and 6-month post-injection in group 1 was greater than that in group 2. The changes in the median RPI between baseline and 3- and 6-month post-injections were greater in group 1 than in group 2. CONCLUSION: Our pilot study demonstrated the different changes in spasticity of the ankle plantar flexor after BTA injection based on age. Therefore, age may be considered when establishing a treatment plan using BTA injection for children with spastic CP.

The Effects of Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection According to the Severity of Collagenase-Induced Knee Osteoarthritis in a Rabbit Model

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the cartilage regenerative effects of intra-aricular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are different, according to the severity of osteoarthritis (OA), in a collagenase-induced knee OA rabbit model. METHOD: New Zealand white rabbits (N=21) were randomly divided into three groups. Three different doses (0.25 mg, group 1; 0.5 mg, group 2; and 1.0 mg, group 3) of collagenase were injected twice into both knees of each group under an ultrasound guidance. The mean platelet concentration of the PRP fraction was 2,664+/-970x10(3)/microl and was enriched 8.2-times, compared with the whole blood. PRP (0.3 ml) was injected into the left knee and saline (0.3 ml) into the right knee at 4 weeks, and macroscopic and histological scores of both injected knees were evaluated at 9 weeks after the first collagenase injection. RESULTS: Macroscopic and histological scores of group 3 were significantly higher than those of group 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Macroscopic and histological scores of the PRP-injected knees were significantly lower than those of the saline-injected knees, in all groups (p<0.05). Differences of gross morphologic and histologic scores between saline- and PRP-injected knees in group 3 were significantly higher than those in group 1 and 2 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Intra-articular PRP injection influences cartilage regeneration in all severities of rabbit knee OA, and the cartilage regenerative power of PRP injection in moderate knee OA was greater than that in mild or very mild OA. A large preclinical trial is needed to establish the validity of our study.

The Change of Intrinsic Stiffness in Gastrocnemius after Intensive Rehabilitation with Botulinum Toxin A Injection in Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

A recent study claimed that botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection into the calf muscle of cerebral palsy (CP) children did not change the intrinsic stiffness. Contrary to this recent report, in our case, decreased muscle spasticity, which was measured using a modified Ashworth scale, and increased Gross Motor Function Measure score were demonstrated at 4 weeks after intensive rehabilitation treatment (IRT) with BTX-A injection to the medial gastrocnemius muscle in a child with spastic CP. Additionally, we indentified decreased muscle stiffness which was demonstrated by a decrease in the color-coded scale and shear velocity, and an increase in the strain ratio using dynamic sonoelastography.

Detection of Saliva Aspiration Using Salivagram in Bedridden Patients with Brain Lesion

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the aspiration of saliva itself in bedridden patients with brain lesion using the response of radionuclide salivagram, and its association with patient characteristics and clinical factors. METHOD: Thirty two patients (21 men and 11 women) in bedridden state with brain lesion were performed the radionuclide salivagram. (99m)Tc sulfur colloid (1.0 mCi in a drop of saline) was instilled into patients' tongue with supine position. The sequential images were obtained at first 5 minutes and 10 minutes interval for 1 hour, and evaluated the presence of saliva aspiration as the entrance of tracer into major airways or lung parenchyma. The characteristics of patients and the states of cooperation, drooling, tracheostomy, and method of feed were also assessed. RESULTS: Seven out of 32 subjects exhibited positive response of saliva aspiration by radionuclide salivagram. Men, uncooperative, and anterior drooling was significantly associated with positive finding of salivagram (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In bedridden patients with brain lesion, it seems that radionuclide salivagram may be one of methods for detection of the aspiration of saliva itself.

Hand Function and Diffusion Tensor Imaging according to Response of Evoked Potentials in Post-stroke Hemiplegic Patients

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between evoked potentials and fractional anisotropy (FA) ratio in posterior limb of the internal capsule and hand movement scale (HMS) in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. METHOD: Thirty-six post-stroke hemiplegic patients with a lesion in the internal capsule were included in this study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed with a 3.0 tesla MR at about 1 month after stroke. FA ratio was measured in posterior limb of the internal capsule of the patients. Motor evoked potential (MEP) was obtained by magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex and recorded from the abductor pollicis muscle. Somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) was obtained by electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist and recorded from the somatosensory cortex. Hand movement scale was obtained at about 1 month and 3 months after stroke. RESULTS: Hand movement scale at about 1 month and 3 months after stroke and FA ratio were reduced significantly in patients who showed no response on MEP. However, no significant differences were observed between the patients who showed SSEP response and those who did not. FA ratio and hand movement scale were highly correlated to each other. CONCLUSION: MEP and FA ratio can be helpful in assessing the hand function at about 1 month and 3 months in post-stroke hemiplegic patients.

Ultrasonographic Findings of Mild and Very Mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical usefulness of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of mild and very mild carpal tunnel syndrome. METHOD: Ultrasonographic evaluation was performed in 39 hands of 29 patients with mild and very mild carpal tunnel syndrome according to Bland's neurophysiologic grading scale. Controls included 41 hands of 34 subjects without electrophysiologic evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome. Ultrasonographic findings were evaluated quantitatively with regard to the cross-sectional area, the flattening ratio, the swelling ratio of the median nerve, and palmar displacement of the flexor retinaculum. The analysis of differences between controls and patients group were done by independent t-test. Cut-off values using receiver operation characteristic, were calculated. RESULTS: Patients had significantly increased cross sectional area and flattening ratio of the median nerve at proximal carpal area, palmar displacement of the flexor retinaculum at proximal carpal area. A critical value of equal or higher to 8.5 mm(2) for cross-sectional area at the pisiform level showed a sensitivity 79.5%, a specificity of 95.1%, which had most diagnostic value compared with the value of cross-sectional area at the distal radius level, flattening ratio at the pisiform level and palmar displacement. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography was useful in the diagnosis of mild and very mild carpal tunnel syndrome.

Comparison of Exercise Indexes between Knee Extension-Flexion Exercise and Treadmill Exercise

OBJECTIVE: To obtain clinical usefulness of knee extension- flexion exercise by comparing the exercise indexes between treadmill exercise and knee extension-flexion exercise and to collect reference of exercise indexes using knee extension-flexion exercise. METHOD: Sixty four young healthy subjects participated in two modes of exercise. Subjects performed exercise using isokinetic dynamometer in one leg knee extension-flexion exercise and treadmill running using Bruce protocol in treadmill exercise. We recorded oxygen consumption, heart rate during rest and exercise. RESULTS: When comparing exercise indexes using treadmill exercise, we obtained relative exercise indexes using knee extension-flexion exercise, male 15.96%, female 15.77% in work rate, male 48.46%, female 52.53% in peak oxygen consumption, male 73.57%, female 80.82% in peak heart rate, male 65.97%, female 65.20% in oxygen pulse, male 56.07%, female 62.50% in peak tidal volume, male 82.56%, female 82.53% in peak respiratory rate, male 47.79%, female 49.48% in peak minute ventilation. In dynamic variables, we obtained male 266.82%, female 292.98% in ratio increase in oxygen consumption to increase in work rate. CONCLUSION: Knee extension-flexion exercise showed enough response to evaluate cardiorespiratory function through low work rate. Therefore knee extension-flexion exercise may be used for an exercise tolerance test in patients who cannot perform established exercise tolerance test.

Common Peroneal Nerve Palsy Caused by an Intraneural Ganglion : A case report

To date, very few cases with intraneural ganglion cyst of the peroneal nerve has been reported. The common symptoms include localized pain and various degrees of motor and sensory deficits. Though electrodiagnostic study has been useful in lesion localization, recent imaging studies, such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging, should be used in establishing differential diagnosis and extent of a lesion preoperatively. Treatment can be achieved by microsurgical removal of the cyst. We had a 74 year old female with right foot drop for 3 months and we diagnosed that she had intraneural ganglion of the peroneal nerve using physical examination, electrodiagnostic study, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Although there was no specific symptom on the left side, there was a similar lesion like that of right intraneural ganglion, that was detected by ultrasonography. However, the patient's neurologic symptoms have not improved after operation.

Comparison of Ultrasonographic and Arthrographic Findings according to the Severity of the Rotator Cuff Tear

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in detection of the partial and full-thickness rotator cuff tear compared with arthrography. METHOD: One hundred twenty one cases were diagnosed as the patients with rotator cuff tear. Patients with full-thickness tear were divided into subgroups based on the size of small (3 cm) tear. With arthrography as the standard of comparison for diagnosis of rotator cuff tear, full-thickness tear was confirmed by leakage of contrast extending into the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa. RESULTS: Ultrasonography detected full-thickness tear in 90 cases, partial-thickness tear in 24 cases and no tear in 7 cases. A comparison of the results from ultrasonography and arthrography demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.8%, a specificity of 43.9% and an accuracy of 70.2% for detection of full-thickness tear. The size of supraspinatus full-thickness tear in inconsistent group of ultrasonographic and arthrographic findings was significantly smaller than that of consistent group. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography may be used as the primary screening test for patients who may have suspected rotator cuff tears. However, other diagnostic techniques are recommended to confirm in patients who show small full-thickness tear on ultrasonography.

Clinical Significance of Magnetic Resonance Image Findings according to the Lumbar Spine Instability of Patients with Lower Back Pain

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical significance of magnetic resonance(MR) image findings according to the lumbar spine instability of patients with lower back pain. METHOD: Total 35 patients with lower back pain underwent lateral flexion and extension radiographs of the lumbar spine as well as MR image. The L3-4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels were examined. Horizontal and angular displacements in dynamic radiograph of lumbar spine were used to assess the instability of lumbar spine. MR images were used to evaluate the abnormalities of intervertebral disc, change of adjacent bone marrow, annular tear, disc herniation, and presence of osteophyte. RESULTS: Of the 105 segments, 64 (61.0%) were unstable. Among the 64 unstable segments, 28 were at the L5-S1 level and 21 were at the L4-5 level, respectively. These unstable segments showed higher degree of disc degeneration and more traction osteophyte than the stable segments. No correlation was found between segmental lumbar instability and other findings of MR image. CONCLUSION: For the assessment of lumbar spine instability, dynamic radiographs should be considered in patients with higher degree of disc degeneration or presence of traction osteophyte seen in MR image.