J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.
2001 Apr;25(2):302-307.
Changes of Posterior Bulging of the Lumbar Intervertebral Discs
with Flexion and Extension in Central Disc Bulges and Disc Degeneration
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Seoul National University
Boramae Municipal Hospital.
- 2Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Stanford University Medical School.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the changes of posterior bulging of the lumbar intervertebral discs with flexion and extension movement of the spine in patients with central disc bulges or disc degeneration.
METHOD: Twenty patients with low back pain were studied. Nine patients had central type disc
bulging and eleven patients had disc degeneration only. The spines were scanned in neutral,
flexion, and extension positions in a vertically open 0.5T MR scanner. Degree of posterior bulging
of the lumbar intervertebral disc of the pathological level was measured.
RESULTS
In the patients with disc bulge, posterior bulging of the disc decreased in all of the
patients by 0.8 0.6 mm with flexion of the spine and increased in 77.8% of the patients by
1.0 0.8 mm with extension of the spine. In the patients with disc degeneration, posterior bulging
decreased with flexion in 36.7% of the patients. With extension, posterior bulging increased in
55.6% of the patients.
CONCLUSION
This study found that patients with low back pain and central disc bulges have
consistent and marked discrepancies in posterior bulging with flexion-extension in comparison
with our previous study with asymptomatic patients with normal MRIs.