title: Kinematic Evaluation of Association between Disc Bulge Migration, Lumbar Segmental Mobility, and Disc Degeneration in the Lumbar Spine Using Positional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: Degenerative disc disease and disc bulge in the lumbar spine are common sources of lower back pain. Little is known regarding disc bulge migration and lumbar segmental mobility as the lumbar spine moves from flexion to extension. In this study, 329 symptomatic (low back pain with or without neurological symptoms) patients with an average age of 43.5 years with varying degrees of disc degeneration were examined to characterize the kinematics of the lumbar intervertebral discs through flexion, neutral, and extension weight-bearing positions. In this population, disc bulge migration associated with dynamic motion of the lumbar spine significantly increased with increased grade of disk degeneration. Although no obvious trends relating the migration of disc bulge and angular segmental mobility were seen, translational segmental mobility tended to increase with disc bulge migration in all of the degenerative disc states. It appears that many factors, both static (intervertebral disc degeneration or disc height) and dynamic (lumbar segmental mobility), affect the mechanisms of lumbar disc bulge migration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Jonathan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hymanson
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Cyrus E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Taghavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Duc
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, UCLA Spine Center, Santa Monica, California.
authors.forename: Jeff C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: disc height; intervertebral disc degeneration; lumbar disc bulge; lumbar segmental mobility; positional MRI