A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Pain and Disability Levels in Patients With Low Back Pain With and Without Transitional Lumbosacral Vertebrae
Received 20 October 2004
Abstract
Objective
To determine whether patients with transitional lumbosacral vertebrae report more pain and disability compared with patients with normal lumbar vertebrae.
Methods
Radiographic and questionnaire data were collected from 353 patients with low back pain. Back pain severity was measured using 2 scales: one for pain over the entire episode and the other for pain during the previous week. All patients completed the Revised Oswestry Disability Questionnaire before radiography was performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with and those without a transitional lumbosacral vertebra. Differences between patient groups were investigated using the unpaired t test. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to investigate the effect of the transitional lumbosacral vertebrae on pain and disability controlling for the effects of age and sex.
Results
Forty-three patients (12.2%) had a transitional lumbosacral vertebra. There were no differences in pain or disability levels between the 2 groups on any of the pain scales or Revised Oswestry subscales. Older patients reported significantly more pain (P = .039) and disability (P = .002) than younger patients.
Conclusions
The presence of a transitional lumbosacral vertebra in this group of patients was not related to an increased level of reported low back pain or disability.
aChairperson, Department of Radiology, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
bChairperson, Department of Research, Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK
cClinical Radiologist, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
dChief Radiographer, Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK
Submit requests for reprints to: Cynthia K. Peterson, DC, MMed Ed, 6100 Leslie St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2H 3JI.
Sources of support: No external funding was provided for this study.
ABSTRACT