Correlation of magnetic resonance imaging findings in low back pain patients with daily travel time and mode.

Low back pain (LBP) is the major worldwide cause of pain and it is caused mainly due to long day sedentary work style in office and long hours of travelling in metro cities. The aim was to correlate the association of LBP with increase in time of travel and different modes of travel in metro cities. Methods: Of all the LBP patients referred from orthopedic outpatient department to Radiology Department for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spine, 200 cases of those who travelled minimum 2 h daily and more were considered for this study. Results: The results showed correlation of increase in incidence of degenerative changes in spine and changes in disc with increase in travelling time and also the different modes of travel. The changes increased with time significantly in younger population. Conclusions: In our study of 200 patients complaining of LBP and having changes is spine reported on MRI showed reliable association of the LBP to the daily travelling of minimum 2 h and more, and associated with mode of travel, particularly two wheelers followed by public transport.

Comparison of the Oswestry Disability Index and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Lumbar Canal Stenosis: An Observational Study

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine relationship between the degrees of radiologically demonstrated anatomical lumbar canal stenosis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its correlation with the patient's disability level, using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The relationship between the imaging studies and clinical symptoms has been uncertain in patients suffering from symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis. There is a limited number of studies which correlates the degree of stenosis with simple reproducible scoring methods. METHODS: Fifty patients were selected from 350 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The patients answered the national-language translated form of ODI. The ratio of disability was interpreted, and the patients were grouped accordingly. They were subjected to MRI; and the anteroposterior diameters of the lumbar intervertebral disc spaces and the thecal sac cross sectional area were measured. Comparison was performed between the subdivisions of the degree of lumbar canal stenosis, based on the following: anteroposterior diameter (three groups: normal, relative stenosis and absolute stenosis); subdivisions of the degree of central canal stenosis, based on the thecal sac cross-sectional area, measured on axial views (three groups: normal, moderately stenotic and severely stenotic); and the ODI outcome, which was also presented in 20 percentiles. RESULTS: No significant correlation was established between the radiologically depicted anatomical lumbar stenosis and the Oswestry Disability scores. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging alone should not be considered in isolation when assessing and treating patients diagnosed with lumbar canal stenosis.

A Case of Periosteal Chondroma of the Cervical Spine: Case Report

The authors experienced a case of cervical periosteal chondroma presenting with symptoms of spinal cord compression in 26-year-old woman. The diagnosis was based on the characteristic features of computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging scan. Total surgical removal in two-staged operation was followed by full neurological recovery. Extensive spinal canal and extradural involvement in case of chondroma of the cervical vertebral column was observed and rarely reported in this literature.