ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine mean bone mineral density in patients with chronic low back pain presenting at Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine Rawalpindi based on dual energy x-ray absorptiometry studies
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine [AFIRM], Rawalpindi from Apr 2015 to Mar 2016
Patients and Methods: Two hundred and forty patients having low back pain of more than 6 months duration fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included both from indoor and outdoor departments through non-probability consecutive sampling. Bone mineral density was measured at lumbar spine by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry studies by the same technical staff using the same equipment. A written informed consent was taken from each patient. Data were collected and recorded on specialized proforma by the principal investigator
Results: Spine BMD on DXA scan ranged from 0.90 to 0.98 g/cm2 with a mean of 0.95 +/- 0.02 as shown in. When stratified, the mean BMD decreased significantly with increasing age and severity of LBP; 20-30 years vs. 31-40 years [0.95 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.92 +/- 0.02; p=0.001]. However, there was no significant difference in mean BMD across genders; male vs. female [0.94 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.94 +/- 0.02; p=0.680]. Similarly there was no significant difference in mean BMD across various durations of low back pain; 7-10 vs. 11-14 months [0.94 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.93 +/- 0.01; p=0.617]
Conclusion: The mean bone mineral density at spine was found to be lower in patients with chronic low back pain. It was significantly lower in older patients and those with severe low back pain. However, it didn't change significantly with various durations of low back pain or gender
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the frequency of various neurogenic bladder patterns in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury presenting at Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine Rawalpindi based on urodynamic studies
Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine [AFIRM] Rawalpindi, from Jul 2014 to Jun 2016
Material and Methods: One hundred and forty traumatic spinal cord injury patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included both from indoor and outdoor departments through non-probability purposive sampling. Urodynamic studies were performed using the urodynamic equipment at urodynamic laboratory. Data were collected and recorded on specialized proforma by the principal investigator
Results: Among 140 study participants detrusor overactivity was found in 100 patients out of which 76 [76%] had thoracic level of injury, 20 [20%] had cervical level and 4 [4%] had lumbar level of injury. Detrusor areflexia was the bladder pattern in 40 patients out of which 26 [65%] had thoracic level of injury, 10 [25%] had cervical level, and 4 [10%] had lumbar level of injury
Conclusion: Detrusor overactivity was the commonest neurogenic bladder pattern among the traumatic spinal cord injury patients