title: Value of ultrasonic measurement of spinal canal diameter in general practice.
abstract: The diameter of the spinal canal was measured by ultrasonic scanning in 193 patients with back pain and 193 matched controls. The spinal canal was found to be significantly narrower in the patients compared with all 193 controls (p less than 0.01) and compared with 132 of the controls with no history of back pain (p less than 0.001), but measurement of canal size was found not to have any value in the prognosis or management of back pain in general practice.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000473:pathology*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography