The use of computer thermography in the diagnosis of diseases of the lumbosacral spine in athletes and ballet dancers

Abstract

The experience in thermographic examination of 108 patients (athlets and ballet dancers) with lumbar-sacral spine diseases is presented. All patients have been treated at the CITO Department of Sports and Ballet Injury during the period from 1987 to 2002. Various thermograms typical of osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondylolysis and ligamentous pathology of lumbar-sacral spine are given and described. Thermography is shown to be a nonspecific examination method which only defines more precisely the clinical and radiologic data. The main value of thermography is the possibility to detect the activity of the pathologic process and to retrace the dynamics of the disease development during follow up and treatment.