Apex Of Kyphosis Research Articles

A comparison of radiographic and computer-assisted measurements of thoracic and thoracolumbar sagittal curvature

Sagittal plane curve characteristics of the thoracolumbar spine were evaluated from 286 lateral chest radiographs comparing the Cobb technique with a computer-aided digitizer. Thoracic kyphosis and curve apex were measured from the T3 to T11 segments, and in 120 cases, the level of the thoracolumbar curve inflexion point was determined. An age-related increase in curve magnitude was similar for both measurements, although computer generated kyphosis angles were generally larger. The apex of thoracic kyphosis was consistently located near T7 for males compared with greater variability with age for females. The thoracolumbar inflexion point shifted caudally with increasing years, being most marked for females. The computer method was more reliable, producing a coefficient of variation of 1.4% on repeated measurement. The ability to describe quantitatively the thoracolumbar curve characteristics, calculate angles between selected segments, determine points of inflexion and maximum curvature, indicates that radiographic evaluation of sagittal spinal curvature is improved with the use of computer-aided measurement.

老人性円背における臨床的検討 ＩＩ

Senile round backs are mostly due to osteoporosis, wedge vertebrae and narrowing of the disc, and often associated with back pain. The accurate causes of the back pain are still obscure. 101 cases of senile round back were investigated to clarify the mechanism of the back pain. They were classified into 2 groups according to the types of round back, namely 1) the upper group in which the apex of kyphosis is located in the middle thoracic spine, and 2) the lower group in which the apex is the thoracolumbar junction.Most of the cases in two groups demonstrated similar clinical symptoms. The pain was located at bilateral paravertebral regions including the area close to lumbar spinal process and at the gluteal region.Facet block with xylocain at the lumbar spine produced relief of the pain in 76% of 34 cases, which suggests that one of the main causes of chronic back pain of senile round back originates from the lumbar facet joints.

老人性円背における臨床的検討

Senile round backs are mostly due to osteoporosis, wedge vertebrae and narrowing of the disc, and often associated with back pain. The accurate causes of the back pain are still obscure. 101 cases of senile round back were investigated to clarify the mechanism of the back pain. They were classified into 2 groups according to the types of round back, namely 1) the upper group in which the apex of kyphosis is located in the middle thoracic spine, and 2) the lower group in which the apex is the thoracolumbar junction.Most of the cases in two groups demonstrated similar clinical symptoms. The pain was located at bilateral paravertebral regions including the area close to lumbar spinal process and at the gluteal region.Facet block with xylocain at the lumbar spine produced relief of the pain in 76% of 34 cases, which suggests that one of the main causes of chronic back pain of senile round back originates from the lumbar facet joints.