title: A germane link between piriformis muscle atrophy and lumbar disc herniation.
abstract: This article reports the case of a a 29-year-old girl with a right-sided sciatica. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar vertebrae and the pelvic region detected a right L5-S paracentral disc herniation with descending S1 nerve root compression and atrophy in the right piriformis muscle. Magnetic resonance images of two other subjects -one with a known diagnosis of lumbosacral nerve root compression and one healthy individual without any low back pathology were also used in comparison. To the best knowledge of the authors, piriformis muscle atrophy associated with lumbar disc herniation is discussed for the first time in the Literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hacettepe University Medical School Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: F U
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Malas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ozçakar
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kerimoõlu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yörübulut
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities