Factors associated with spinal instability in low back lumbar diseases with leg pain: Analysis of sagittal translation and segmental angulation.

BACKGROUND: Determining the association between radiographic spinal instability assessment and lower back lumbar diseases with lower limb symptoms can contribute to evidence-based assessment and treatment in clinical practice and rehabilitation. Therefore, radiological evidence of lumbar spine instability assessment, such as sagittal translation (ST) and segmental angulation (SA), is clinically important. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with the assessment of spinal instability in lumbar disc herniation with leg pain and discogenic low back pain using ST and SA. METHODS: We examined 112 patients with lumbar disc herniation with leg pain and 116 with discogenic low back pain at our clinic from 2016 to 2021. Data on age, gender, sports activities, and occupation were collected from medical records. Additionally, ST and SA of L4 and L5 during maximum trunk flexion and extension were measured using radiography. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Simple logistic regression analysis showed that ST and SA (odds ratio [OR]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.19) were associated with lumbar disc herniation. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only ST was associated with lumbar disc herniation (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.78-3.00). CONCLUSION: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ST was associated with lumbar disc herniation with leg pain and had a stronger association than SA.

Incidence of cervical kyphosis and cervical posterior translation in neck pain associated with radiological evidence of degenerative disc disease.

BACKGROUND: Cervical kyphosis mechanically influences the intervertebral discs, which may lead to neck, shoulder, and scapular pain. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of cervical kyphosis and posterior displacement of cervical vertebrae (cervical posterior translation index) in patients with radiologically evident degenerative disc disease. DESIGN: Retrospective-cohort study. METHODS: Ninety-five patients with radiologically evident degenerative disc disease were recruited at our clinic from 2015 to 2019. Radiography images were used to analyze the straight-line index in each patient in the upright posture. The straight-line index was calculated by drawing a reference line connecting the posterior inferior edges of C2 to C7 and normalizing the addition of the distances from the posterior inferior edges of C3, C4, C5, and C6 to the reference line, respectively. Straight-line index <0 was defined as cervical kyphosis and ≥0 as cervical lordosis, the cervical kyphosis. In cervical kyphosis group, the distance from the posterior inferior edges of C3, C4, C5, and C6 to the reference line was normalized by the reference line distance to determine posterior displacement. Multiple comparison tests aside from simple and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The incidence of cervical kyphosis in patients with radiologically evident degenerative disc disease was 60% (57/95 patients). Multiple comparison tests revealed that the cervical posterior translation indexes of C4 and C5 were significantly higher than those of C3, C4, and C6, in cervical kyphosis group. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical kyphosis was present in 60% of patients with radiologically evident degenerative disc disease, with C5 showing the most posterior displacement.

Incidence of spinal instability among patients with discogenic low back pain with different backgrounds.

[Purpose] To investigate the incidence of spinal instability among patients with discogenic low back pain and its various effects with respect to the patients' age, gender, sports activity, and occupation. [Participants and Methods] We assessed 65 patients diagnosed with discogenic low back pain at our clinic between May 2016 and May 2020. After measuring segmental angulation using plain radiographs, we divided these patients into two groups: (1) instability group with >10° of segmental angulation or >3 mm of sagittal translation and (2) stability group with <10° of segmental angulation and <3 mm of sagittal translation. Patient data such as age, gender, sports activity, and occupation were collected using their medical records. [Results] The incidence of spinal instability was 57% (37 patients) among the patients with discogenic low back pain. No significant differences in age, gender, sports activity, and occupation were identified between the groups. [Conclusion] The incidence of spinal instability accounted for more than half of the total number of patients. Additionally, age, gender, sports activity, and occupation did not affect the incidence of spinal instability. Our results support the importance of rehabilitation, such as stability training for spinal instability, for patients with discogenic low back pain.

Detection probability of vocalizing dugongs during playback of conspecific calls.

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) were monitored using simultaneous passive acoustic methods and visual observations in Thai waters during January 2008. Chirp and trill calls were detected by a towed stereo hydrophone array system. Two teams of experienced observers conducted standard visual observations on the same boat. Comparisons of detection probabilities of acoustic and visual monitoring between two independent observers were calculated. Acoustic and visual detection probabilities were 15.1% and 15.7%, respectively, employing a 300 s matching time interval. When conspecific chirp calls were broadcast from an underwater speaker deployed on the side of the observation boat, the detection probability of acoustic monitoring rose to 19.2%. The visual detection probability was 12.5%. Vocal hot spots characterized by frequent acoustic detection of calls were suggested by dispersion analysis, while dugongs were visually observed constantly throughout the focal area (p<0.001). Passive acoustic monitoring assisted the survey since detection performance similar to that of experienced visual observers was shown. Playback of conspecific chirps appeared to increase the detection probability, which could be beneficial for future field surveys using passive acoustics in order to ensure the attendance of dugongs in the focal area.