Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Research Articles

Occupational Back Disability in U.S. Army Personnel

Musculoskeletal disorders represent a prevalent source of outpatient visits, lost work time, hospitalization, and disability in the military. Recent research has identified patterns among military occupations, gender, and musculoskeletal disability. Although back disorders accounted for a high percentage of all cases, little is known about the relationship between job type and disability in soldiers. The present study analyzed 41,750 disability cases to determine (1) prevalence of work-related back disability diagnoses, (2) specific jobs associated with greater risk of back disability, and (3) association among gender, job type, and disability. The results indicate that (1) lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome represent the most prevalent diagnoses for back disability, (2) certain occupations were associated with higher back disability risk, and (3) specific jobs were identified in which females experienced higher rates of back disability than males. The nature of these high-risk jobs, and recent research on work disability factors in U.S. Army soldiers, suggest that a combination of ergonomic and individual/organizational psychosocial factors may play a role in the development, exacerbation, and maintenance of work disability. Future research that identifies specific job factors contributing to increased back disability risk should assist in the development of empirically based work site prevention programs to improve musculoskeletal health and readiness.

Treatment of Canine Intervertebral Disc Displacement With Chondroitinase ABC

This study demonstrated the therapeutic value of chemonucleolysis with chondroitinase ABC to canine intervertebral disc displacement. To determine the efficacy of Chondroitinase ABC in the management of canine intervertebral disc displacement. No previous study has assessed the chemonucleolysis with chondroitinase ABC in the displaced discs. The changes of intervertebral disc syndrome were evaluated in this study. Fifty-nine dogs with symptoms and signs of intervertebral disc displacement were treated with Chondroitinase ABC by a single intradisc injection. The changes in symptoms and signs of disc herniation in the dogs were followed from 7 days to 3 years after treatment. Forty-eight dogs were evaluated for the efficacy of the chemonucleolytic treatment with chondroitinase ABC. At 1 week after injection, 45 of 48 dogs showed some improvement in symptoms and signs. No adverse reactions were observed. There was no recurrence of symptoms in nine dogs who were observed from 14 months to 3 years after injection. Chemonucleolytic treatment with chondroitinase ABC is an effective and safe method for the management of canine intervertebral disc displacement.

A prospective study of 2,000 patients attending a chiropractic college teaching clinic.

A prospective study was undertaken to characterize 2,000 patients attending a chiropractic teaching clinic and the effectiveness of the care they received. Fifty-two percent of the patients were between 21 and 34 years old; 41% categorized their occupation as professional and 14% as skilled blue collar; 79% presented with musculoskeletal complaints; 44% had low back pain; 41% had complaints less than 1 month; 83% had no work time loss. Eighty-one percent of musculoskeletal diagnoses were reported as strain, with less than 1% intervertebral disc syndrome. The primary treatment approach was manipulation in 90% of cases. As a group, both patients and interns had similar expectations about the likelihood of improvement following treatment and similar assessments of the degree of improvement actually attained. Eighty-two percent of patients improved during their course of treatment. An average 4.4 patient visits were encountered per episode of care, with an average total charge of $66.00.

Autoimmunity and the prolapsed intervertebral disc syndrome.

Several workers have suggested that autoimmunity may either be an aetiological factor or it may contribute to the chronicity of symptoms in the prolapsed intervertebral disc syndrome. In order to test these hypotheses lymphocyte transformation to intervertebral disc fractions, obtained by defined extraction procedures, IgG, IgA, IgM quantitation, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), were compared in 20 patients with surgically proven prolapsed intervertebral discs (PID) and a similar number of age and sex matched controls. No significant differences were noted between the two groups.

Lumbar dorsal ramus syndrome.

Low back pain, referred pain in the lower limbs, and spasm of the back, gluteal, and hamstring muscles are clinical features which can be induced in normal volunteers by stimulating structures which are innervated by the lumbar dorsal rami. Conversely, they can be relieved in certain patients by selective interruption of conduction along dorsal rami. These facts permit the definition of a lumbar dorsal ramus syndrome, which can be distinguished from the intervertebral disc syndrome and other forms of low back pain. The distinguishing feature is that, in lumbar dorsal ramus syndrome, all the clinical features are exclusively mediated by dorsal rami and do not arise from nerve-root compression. The pathophysiology, pathology, and treatment of this syndrome are described. Recognition of this syndrome, and its treatment with relatively minor procedures, can obviate the need for major surgery which might otherwise be undertaken.

Intradisc injection of trasylol in lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome

Eighty-three patients who presented clinically and myelographically with a lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion or a lateral prolapse were treated by an intradisc injection of Trasylol. A quarter of the cases showed a recovery and from a written questionnaire, it became clear that nine of these were able to report a continuance lasting for over two years.

A Long-Term Investigation of a New Antirheumatic Drug, Diclofenac Sodium (Voltaren)

A long-term, non-comparative study of diclofenac sodium (Voltaren®) in patients with rheumatic diseases is described. The study was part of an international multicentre investigation in which the following three Danish hospitals participated: Fredericia Hospital, Copenhagen Municipal Hospital, and Copenhagen County Hospital, Glostrup. The trial population consisted of 17 patients, 15 of whom had rheumatoid arthritis and two an intervertebral disc syndrome. The daily dosage of diclofenac sodium employed ranged from 50 to 150 mg, adjustments being made between these limits during the trial in an attempt to achieve an optimal therapeutic effect. Of the 17 patients, 14 completed the trial with a mean treatment period of 16.1 months (range: 12-24 months). Three patients discontinued treatment prematurely, two because of unwanted effects and the third because of an acute exacerbation of her rheumatoid disease. With regard to therapeutic efficacy, the two patients with an intervertebral disc syndrome derived no ...

Role of ligamentum flavum in the symptomatology of prolapsed lumbar intervertebral discs.

Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum has been reported to occur in the prolapsed intervertebral disc syndrome. The ligaments from 28 patients were compared with a necropsy control group (18). Only minor histological anomalies were noted in two patients and the ligament was not thickened in cases of disc prolapse. In addition, there was no evidence to suggest previous trauma to the ligaments associated with disc protrusion or that the elastic fibres in the ligament degenerate with age, although some degeneration of the collagen fibres had apparently occurred in the two oldest control cases.

In Vitro Inhibition of Leucocyte Migration in Patients with Intervertebral Disc Lesions

Summary Patients with the prolapsed intervertebral disc syndrome were examined for sensitization to autologous intervertebral disc extract using the leucocyte migration inhibition test. Three patients of 12 studied 10 to 14 days after discectomy showed inhibition of leucocyte migration. All three patients had sequestrated protruded discs. None of the eight patients with disc protrusion and no sequestration gave a positive reaction. In one patient who was studied in detail, inhibition of leucocyte migration occurred in the presence of disc extract from another, nonsensitized patient. It was found that leucocyte migration was inhibited strongly and nonspecifically by disc extracts in high concentration. This nonspecific effect could be eliminated by dilution.

SUBCUTANEOUS LUMBAR “RHIZOLYSIS”— AN ASSESSMENT OF 200 CASES

Two hundred cases of intervertebral disc syndrome have been subjected to the Rees “rhizolysis” and the results of the operation in certain cases, even of long duration of pain, would suggest that the procedure should be added to the armamentarium of those dealing with back problems. The actual reason for pain relief is thought to be due to section of the posterior primary ramus.

Low-Back Pain and Sciatica

Protruded intervertebral disc, the most common cause of low-back pain, must be excluded from various conditions and diseases which cause similar symptoms. The characteristic features of the the typical protruded intervertebral-disc syndrome, as well as some of the less common manifestations of the protruded disc, are presented. The most effective treatment for the patient with a protruded disc is rest in bed until the pain subsides. The sudden appearance and progressive development of a neurological deficit is an indications for prompt surgical treatment. A lack of improvement after an adequate trial of rest in bed is a second, but less absolute, indication for surgical treatment.

A Study of the Results Following Rotatory Manipulation in the Lumbar Intervertebral-Disc Syndrome

A Study of the Results Following Rotatory Manipulation in the Lumbar Intervertebral-Disc Syndrome

THE ANATOMY OF THE LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC SYNDROME

Four elements of the nervous system may be involved in the production of the lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome. These are the lumbosacral nerve roots, the spinal nerves, the dorsal rami and the sinuvertebral nerves. Each nerve is associated with a particular group of pathological conditions which may irritate the nerve and produce symptoms. The anatomy of each nerve determines which particular conditions may irritate it. Moreover, one or both of two mechanisms may be involved in symptom production. The type of nerve irritated determines which mechanism is involved. In the first mechanism, low back pain and referred lower limb symptoms are produced when afferent fibres from dorsal and ventral rami are stimulated where they pass in common through spinal nerves or nerve roots. In the second mechanism, dorsal rami or sinuvertebral nerves are stimulated. This directly produces low back pain, but referred pain is produced by reflex mechanisms in the spinal cord.

The thoracic herniated intervertebral disc syndrome.

The thoracic herniated intervertebral disc syndrome.

NON-OPERATIVE TREATMENT, INCLUDING MANIPULATION, FOR LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC SYNDROME

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