Physical activity and low-back pain in schoolchildren

Design of the experiment is to study the cross-sectional sample with retrospective information. The objective is to identify the types of physical activity associated with the decreased occurrence of low-back pain (LBP) in schoolchildren. Physical activity may be hypothesized to possess a potential for LBP prevention. The possible connection between LBP and specific sports activities is however sparsely documented. A total of 546, 15- to 16-year-old schoolchildren filled a questionnaire on current physical activities and LBP occurrence and severity. In multiple logistic regressions, the association of LBP with exposure variables was corrected for body height and weight (data from school health service files) and for anthropometric and school furniture parameters. More than half of the children reported pain or discomfort in the low-back region during the preceding 3 months, and 1/4 experienced a decreased functioning or need of care because of LBP. LBP correlated with physical inactivity, e.g. time spent on homework and hours watching TV or video, and with a series of sports activities, e.g. jogging, handball playing and gymnastics. Among sports activities, only swimming and the number of hours per week participating in soccer were associated with a decreased LBP prevalence. With the exception of swimming and soccer, the types of sport reported by this schoolchild population do not offer themselves for consideration as tools for LBP prevention. Based on the associations found with indicators of physical inactivity, attempts to motivate the children to increase their general physical activity level should be considered for trial

Direct repair for treatment of symptomatic spondylolysis and low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis in young patients: no benefit in comparison to segmental fusion after a mean follow-up of 14.8 years

The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term clinical, functional, and radiographic outcome of direct repair of spondylolysis using cerclage wire fixation according to Scott in young patients with symptomatic spondylolysis or low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis as compared to the outcome after uninstrumented posterolateral in situ fusion. Twenty-five out of 28 patients of the direct repair group (89%) and 23 out of 28 of the fusion group (82%) were available for follow-up examination. The assessment by independent observers included a structured interview (Oswestry questionnaire [ODI], visual analogue scale, SRS questionnaire), a clinical examination, functional testing, plain radiography, and MRI. The groups were comparable as to the mean age at operation (18.2 vs. 16.2 years.), the follow-up time (14.8 vs. 15.0 years), and the amount of preoperative slip (7.2 vs. 13.1%). The mean ODI and SRS total scores were significantly better in the fusion group (4.3 [0–16] and 96 [57–117]) as compared to the direct repair group (11.4[0–52] and 87[53–107]; P=0.02 and P=0.011, respectively). In functional testing, both groups reached normal values for abdominal and back muscle strength. The lumbar spine flexion and extension ROM was decreased in both groups showing no statistical difference between the groups. Significant progressive narrowing of the olisthetic disc was detected on the plain radiographs after direct repair. On the flexion-extension radiographs, in the direct repair group, the mobility in the lytic/olisthetic segment was decreased in comparison to normal values from the literature. The mobility at the level above the operated segment was decreased in the direct repair group as compared to the fusion group (P=0.057). On T2-weighted MR images in the direct repair group, the signal intensity of the disc below the affected vertebra was decreased in 17/23 (74%) patients. There was no difference between the groups in the nucleus signal intensity of the adjacent disc above the operated segment. No association between the disc degeneration on MRI and the outcome of the patients could be established. In the direct repair group the following complications were seen: transient nerve root irritation (2), superficial infection (1), UTI (1); in the fusion group the complications were: subcutaneous seroma (2) and UTI (1). There were six re-operations, cerclage removal(4), conversion into segmental fusion(2) in the direct repair group, and one re-operation, instrumented respondylodesis, in the fusion group. In conclusion, the results of direct repair of the spondylolysis using cerclage wire fixation according to Scott were very satisfactory in 76% of the patients after a mean follow-up of 14.8 years. After direct repair, the ODI deteriorated with time leading to a clinically moderate but statistically significant difference in favour of segmental fusion. Lumbar spine mobility was decreased after direct repair. Secondary segmental instability above the spinal fusion was not detected. The procedure does not seem to be capable of preventing the olisthetic disc from degeneration. The theoretical benefits of direct repair could not be proven

Pain and disability correlated with disc degeneration via magnetic resonance imaging in scoliosis patients

Prior imaging studies of scoliosis patients attempted to demonstrate a relationship between plain radiographic curve patterns and curve progression and pain, or used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to focus on spinal cord abnormalities. Pain in scoliosis patients may differ from nondeformity patients, yet may still be discogenic. The purpose of this study was to assess the possible relationship of degenerative disc findings on MRI to scoliosis patients’ pain. This prospective study enrolled scoliosis and control patients, all of whom had assessment for back pain (visual analog scale) and disability (Oswestry Index) and spinal MRI to identify prevalence and distribution of degenerative disc findings. Specifically, we assessed 60 consecutive pediatric and adult idiopathic scoliosis patients who had progressed to surgical treatment, 60 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic controls, and 172 nondeformity symptomatic degenerative disc disease patients who had progressed to surgical treatment. All subjects had independent analysis of their preoperative MRI for disc degeneration, disc herniation, Schmorl’s nodes, and inflammatory end plate changes. Imaging findings of the scoliosis patients were compared to those from asymptomatic and symptomatic control groups. Our results found that both pediatric and adult scoliosis patients had significantly more pain and disability than did asymptomatic controls (P < 0.001). The adult idiopathic scoliosis patients had pain and disability similar to those of surgical degenerative disc disease control groups. Disc degeneration and herniation (contained) were not related to pain. However, in the pediatric scoliosis patients, those with Schmorl’s nodes often had greater pain than those without (P = 0.01). Adults with painful scoliosis, typically occurring at the apex of the scoliosis or at the lumbosacral junction, had a significantly higher frequency of inflammatory end plate changes on MRI than did controls (P < 0.001). Prior studies have demonstrated a correlation of inflammatory end plate changes to lumbar discogenic pain. In conclusions, scoliosis patients who have progressed to surgical intervention, pediatric patients have varying degrees of pain, and those with Schmorl’s nodes may be at greater risk for pain. Adult scoliosis patients have multifactorial pain of which one component may be related to degeneration of the lower lumbar discs similar to that in nondeformity patients. Additionally, adult scoliosis patients may have MRI findings consistent with discogenic pain at the apex of their curvature, most commonly at the proximal lumbar levels