Ultrasound in sciatica.
Investigation of the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal by ultrasound has shown a relative stenosis in patients with sciatica. In this study 12 patients who had recovered uneventfully after being operated on for herniated lumbar discs were found to have a broader spinal canal than 10 patients treated in the same way but still suffering from pain. Moreover, more difficulty was experienced investigating this latter group with the described "B-scan" technique. It is suggested that a preoperative ultrasound investigation would be able to indicate a narrow spinal canal and thereby reduce the number of disc operation failures.
D000328:Adult; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012585:Sciatica / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014463:Ultrasonography