Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Turk J Med Sci 2019 Feb 11;49(1):249-257. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Background/aim: We aimed to compare the results of the treatment of the patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) by mechanical lysis and steroid hylase injection via epiduroscopy due to their stabilization status and to detect the effect of pathological diagnostic markers on prognosis and ongoing treatment protocol.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-two patients with FBSS symptoms were included. Two groups were composed as group I (stabilized) and group II (nonstabilized). Read More

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2019 Feb 13:1-40. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Background: Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) is a treatment-based classification system founded on three core principles; classification into diagnostic syndromes, classification-based intervention and appropriate application of force. Many randomized controlled trials have investigated the efficacy of MDT for low back pain (LBP); however, results have varied. Read More

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2018 24;5(4):000808. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Internal Medicine Service, Centro Hospitalar Tondela-Viseu, E.P.E. - Viseu, Portugal.

Objectives: To report a case of mechanical aortic prosthesis endocarditis successfully treated with antibiotics alone.Materials and methods: We describe a clinical case and present a review of the literature.

Results: A 60-year-old female farmer with a mechanical aortic prosthetic valve presented with low back pain and fever. Read More

J Emerg Med 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.

Background: Spontaneous spinal and intracranial subdural hematomas are rarely reported, especially occurring simultaneously. Anticoagulation use has been associated with spontaneous hemorrhages. Prompt diagnosis is required to prevent permanent neurological sequelae. Read More

Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2018 Oct;21(13):712-721

b Department of Rehabilitation Medicine , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , MN , USA.

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common type of pain in America, and spinal instability is a primary cause. The facet capsular ligament (FCL) encloses the articulating joints of the spine and is of particular interest due to its high innervation - as instability ensues, high stretch values likely are a cause of this pain. Therefore, this work investigated the FCL's role in providing stability to the lumbar spine. Read More

Complement Ther Clin Pract 2019 Feb 10;34:64-69. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Objective: To test the efficacy of Gua Sha therapy in patients with chronic low back pain.

Methods: 50 patients with chronic low back pain (78% female, 49.7 ± 10. Read More

Neuroscience 2019 Jan 27;402:51-65. Epub 2019 Jan 27.

Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, ML0531, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0531, USA. Electronic address:

Low back pain is a common cause of chronic pain and disability. It is modeled in rodents by chronically compressing the lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) with small metal rods, resulting in ipsilateral mechanical and cold hypersensitivity, and hyperexcitability of sensory neurons. Sodium channels are implicated in this hyperexcitability, but the responsible isoforms are unknown. Read More

J Man Manip Ther 2019 Feb 12;27(1):33-42. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Department of Physical Therapy, Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan.

: To preliminarily investigate in patients with a primary complaint of non-acute knee pain for ≥ 1 month: 1) the proportion of patients with non-acute knee pain classified by Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) as Spinal Derangements, 2) the number of sessions taken to identify the concluding classification, and 3) the ability of MDT classifications, demographics, and symptomatic baselines to predict pain reduction at 1-month follow-up.: This study reviewed data from outpatients managed with MDT. For modeling knee pain reduction at the 1-month follow-up, 3 MDT provisional or concluding classifications (Spinal Derangement, Knee Derangement, and Non-Derangement) and the following variables were included: 1) gender, 2) symptom duration, 3) presence of low back pain (LBP), 4) the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure, 5) average pain intensity at the initial session using a 0-10 numerical rating scale, and 6) the Kellgren-Lawrence grade. Read More

Can Assoc Radiol J 2019 Feb;70(1):37-43

Interventional Musculoskeletal Radiology, Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, USA.

Back pain is the second most common reason for primary-care physician visits after the common cold. New understanding of the spine pathophysiology and biomechanics led to the development of novel injectable biomaterials to treat those pain generators. Although not all biomaterials are currently ready for common use, there is significant interest by the medical community to invest time, resources, and energy to optimize these injectables. Read More

Acta Biomater 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

Low back pain results in more global disabilities than any other condition, and intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is commonly involved in the etiology. Supplementation of IVDs with reparative cells is a rational strategy to address such clinical problems. We have previously developed a scaffold-free tissue-engineered construct (TEC) as a novel cell therapy system for repair of articular cartilage and meniscus. Read More

J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Institute of Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, Nanchong Central Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, 637000, People's Republic of China.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of low back pain in the clinic. In the advanced stage of IDD, both cell transplantation and gene therapy have obvious limitations. At this stage, tissue-engineered IVDs (TE-IVDs) provide new hope for the treatment of this disease. Read More

PLoS One 2019 24;14(1):e0210429. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Sports Medicine and Sports Nutrition, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Background: The prevalence of back pain in athletes has been investigated in several studies, but there are still under- or uninvestigated sports discipline like sports exposed to repetitive overhead activity. Elite athletes spend much time in training and competition and, because of the nature of their disciplines, subject their bodies to a great deal of mechanical strain, which puts a high level of stress on their musculoskeletal systems. From this it is hypothesized that elite athletes who engage in repetitive overhead motions experience a higher strain on their spine and thus possibly a higher prevalence of back pain compared with an active control group. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jan 22;12(1). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Accident and Emergency, Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, Bedford, UK.

A 68-year-old man on apixaban presented to the emergency department with back pain following a long-haul flight. Investigations for pulmonary embolus and aortic dissection were negative and he was discharged with analgesia for mechanical back pain. He presented three more times with worsening back pain, third time with urinary retention and the fourth time with lower limb weakness and loss of coordination. Read More

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Riphah College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Background: Neural mobilization is an effective technique in the management of cervical radiculopathy (CR). However, the difference between active versus passive upper extremity (UE) neural mobilization techniques in the management of cervical radiculopathy is not well established.

Objective: To determine the role of active versus passive UE neural mobilization in females with cervical radiculopathy. Read More

J Biomech 2019 Feb 9;84:172-182. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Julius Wolff Institute, Germany. Electronic address:

Intervertebral disc degeneration is one major source of low back pain, which because of its complex multifactorial nature renders the treatment challenging and thus necessitates extensive research. Experimental animal models have proven valuable in improving our understanding of degenerative processes and potentially promising therapies. Currently, the sheep is the most frequently used large animal in vivo model in intervertebral disc research. Read More

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2019 Mar 20;91:383-390. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK.

The degeneration of the intervertebral disc is one of the principal causes of low back pain. Total disc replacement is a surgical treatment that aims to replace the degenerated disc with a dynamic implant to restore spine biomechanics. This paper proposes the first design of an elastomeric lumbar disc replacement that is implanted as a pair of devices via unilateral transforaminal surgical approach. Read More

J Exerc Rehabil 2018 Dec 27;14(6):1041-1047. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Milan, Italy.

To clarify the significance of mechanical impairments, pain, and functional limitations as predictors of chronic low back pain (LBP). Ninety patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) were prospectively studied with clinical tests and questionnaires. Changes in muscle extensibility and endurance tests were evaluated and changes assessed in LBP intensity on numeric rating scale 0-10 and severity with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) 0-100. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2019 Jan 15. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the changes occurring in the thickness of deep trunk muscles, measured using ultrasound imaging, after four weeks of lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) use in conjunction with routine physical therapy.

Design: This parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 44 patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP), randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups. Both groups received eight sessions of physical therapy twice per week for four weeks. Read More

J Hip Preserv Surg 2018 Dec 27;5(4):393-398. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, USA.

Locating the source of lumbopelvic-hip pain requires the consideration of multiple clinical pathways. Although low back pain has an incidence of 50% in the adolescent population, the pathophysiology in this population typically differs from that of other age groups. Dynamic mechanical impairments of the hip, such as femoroacetabular impingement, may contribute to the pathogenesis of adolescent low back pain. Read More

Materials (Basel) 2019 Jan 14;12(2). Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.

Disc degeneration affects 12% to 35% of a given population, based on genetics, age, gender, and other environmental factors, and usually occurs in the lumbar spine due to heavier loads and more strenuous motions. Degeneration of the extracellular matrix (ECM) within reduces mechanical integrity, shock absorption, and swelling capabilities of the intervertebral disc. When severe enough, the disc can bulge and eventually herniate, leading to pressure build up on the spinal cord. Read More

Nat Rev Rheumatol 2019 Feb;15(2):102-112

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is associated with low back pain. In IVDs, a high mechanical load, high osmotic pressure and hypoxic conditions create a hostile microenvironment for resident cells. How IVD homeostasis and function are maintained under stress remains to be understood; however, several research groups have reported isolating native endogenous progenitor-like or otherwise proliferative cells from the IVD. Read More

Arch Bone Jt Surg 2018 Nov;6(6):560-569

Research performed at Physical Therapy Clinic of School of Rehabilitation, Iran Universality of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Static and dynamic postures of lumbopelvic in low back pain (LBP) are considered as two important aspects of clinical assessment and management of LBP. Thus, the focus of the current study was to compare the posture and compensatory strategy of hip and lumbar region during trunk flexion between LBP subgroupsand health subjects. LBP cases are subdivided into active extension pattern (AEP) and flexion pattern (FP) based on O'Sullivan's classification system (OCS). Read More

Pain Pract 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Pain Management Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Objective: This controlled trial examined the benefit of a high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (hfTENS) device (the Quell, NeuroMetrix, Inc., Waltham, MA, U.S. Read More

J Athl Train 2018 Nov 7;53(11):1056-1062. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil.

Context: Whereas alterations in scapular kinematics, scapulothoracic muscle activity, and pain sensitivity have been described in adult swimmers, no researchers have examined these outcomes in young swimmers.

Objectives: To compare scapular kinematics, scapulothoracic muscle activation, and the pressure-pain threshold (PPT) of the shoulder muscles among young nonpractitioners (those who were not involved in sports involving the upper limbs), amateur swimmers, and competitive swimmers.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Read More

Pain Med 2019 Jan 5. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Department of Pain Management, Anesthesiology Institute.

Objective: Growth hormone (GH) and GH-related signaling molecules play an important role in nociception and development of chronic pain. This review aims to examine the potential molecular mechanisms through which GH-related signaling modulates sensory hypersensitivity in rodents, the clinical pharmacology of GH, and the clinical evidence of GH treatment for several common pain syndromes.

Methods: A search was conducted using the PUBMED/MEDLINE database, Scopus, and the Cochrane library for all reports published in English on GH in pain management from inception through May 2018. Read More

Scand J Work Environ Health 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

National Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway.

Objectives The aim of this study was to (i) construct and evaluate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for mechanical and psychosocial work exposures and (ii) test its predictive validity for low-back pain. Methods We utilized data from the Norwegian nationwide Survey of Living Conditions on work environment in 2006 and 2009. We classified occupations on a 4-digit level based on the Norwegian version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88). Read More

Eur J Appl Physiol 2019 Jan 4. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, CHU Nantes, Hôpital Saint Jacques, 85 rue Saint Jacques, 44093, Nantes Cedex 03, France.

Purpose: Jumper's knee is characterized by an anterior knee pain during tendon palpation and can be classified in overuse pathologies, secondary to repetitive jumps. The prevalence is high in professional basketball players. It is responsible for an alteration of the motor control inducing a strength deficit of the quadriceps. Read More

Rev Alerg Mex 2018 Oct-Dec;65(4):442-445

Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía, Departamento de Alergia, Madrid, España.

Background: The immune mechanism involved in the reaction to hydrochlorothiazide, which is widely used to control hypertension, is unknown. The short latency period between the take of the drug and the onset of symptoms suggests immediate hypersensitivity.

Case Report: 63-year-old woman with arterial hypertension who, on three occasions, experienced nausea, vomiting, general malaise, shivering, arthralgias, dysthermic sensation, back pain of mechanical characteristics and mild non-productive cough, as well as fever and chest tightness with increased dyspnea and desaturation of up to 88 %, after taking hydrochlorothiazide. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2018 26;2018:2601232. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.

Background: Open laminectomy has been regarded as the standard surgical procedure for lumbar lateral recess stenosis during the last decades. Although percutaneous endoscopic lumbar decompression has led to successful results comparable with open decompression, its application in LSS with is still challenging and technically demanding. Here, we report the surgical procedure and preliminary clinical outcomes of transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar decompression (PELD) by using flexible burr for lumbar lateral recess stenosis. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 18. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Orthopedics ,Suining Central Hospital ;No. 127, Western Desheng Road, Suining 629000, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Objective: To investigate whether preoperative presence of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) worsens the outcome of patients undergoing decompression alone for degenerative lumbar stenosis.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. All comparative studies were included in this meta-analysis. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, Florida.

We describe the operative approach and management for thoracic metastatic disease in a 78-yr-old man with worsening mechanical lower back and left-sided thoracic radicular pain. Imaging of the thoracic spine revealed an osteolytic T11 mass with destruction of the left T11 pedicle and transverse process. Biopsy confirmed spinal metastasis from the liver. Read More

J Spine Surg 2018 Sep;4(3):509-515

US Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, The David Grant USAF Medical Center, Fairfield, CA, USA.

Background: Pain while sitting is the primary complaint of many patients with lumbar spinal ailments, including those with discogenic low back pain and lumbar disc herniations. There has been little basic research on the different mechanical stresses that different sitting positions place on the spine. To demonstrate the effect of different sitting positions on lumbar intersegmental relationships. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2018 22;12:453. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.

Low back pain, a leading cause of disability, is commonly treated by epidural steroid injections that target the anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid receptor (GR). However, their efficacy has been controversial. All currently used epidural steroids also activate the pro-inflammatory mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) with significant potency. Read More

PLoS One 2018 11;13(12):e0208790. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Human Kinetics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada.

Objective: The objective was to compare thoracic spinal stiffness between healthy participants and participants with chronic thoracic pain and to explore the associations between spinal stiffness, pain and muscle activity. The reliability of spinal stiffness was also evaluated.

Material And Methods: Spinal stiffness was assessed from T5 to T8 using a mechanical device in 25 healthy participants and 50 participants with chronic thoracic pain (symptoms had to be reported within the evaluated region of the back). Read More

Pain 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States.

Changes in central pain processing have been shown in patients with chronic low-back pain (cLBP). We used quantitative sensory testing methods to identify differences in pain sensitization between patients with cLBP (N = 167) and healthy controls (N = 33). Results indicated that, compared with healthy pain-free controls, cLBP patients showed increased sensitivity and greater painful aftersensations for mechanical pressure and pin-prick stimuli and lower tactile spatial acuity in the 2-point discrimination task (ps < 0. Read More

Trials 2018 Dec 5;19(1):671. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

The Spine Institute for Quality, 102 2nd Street, Davenport, IA, 52801,, USA.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability among U.S. military personnel. Read More

Eur J Pain 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital Pain Management Center, Harvard Medical School, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Background: Pain expectancies are associated with altered pain sensitivity in individuals with chronic pain. However, little is known about the processes by which pain expectancies impact pain processing. This study assessed the association between pain expectancies and temporal summation (TS) of pain, and examined whether pain catastrophizing mediated this association. Read More

Med Arch 2018 Oct;72(4):267-271

University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Health Studies, Bolnička 25, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Introduction: Lumbar pain syndrome is one of the most common conditions in clinical practice, more common than 290 other pathological conditions, which affect up to 84% of adults in a certain period of their life. The origin of the lower back pain can be classified as mechanical, neuropathic and secondary due to another illness. Patient education and information, muscle strengthening exercises, maintenance of routine daily physical activity and pain therapy are the basis of acute non-specific pain syndrome therapy. Read More

J Biomech 2019 Jan 26;83:97-103. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, The Netherlands.

With mechanical loading as the main risk factor for LBP in mind, exoskeletons are designed to reduce the load on the back by taking over a part of the required moment. The present study assessed the effect of a passive exoskeleton on back and abdominal muscle activation, hip and lumbar flexion and on the contribution of both the human and the exoskeleton to the L5/S1 net moment, during static bending at five different hand heights. Two configurations of the exoskeleton (LOW & HIGH) differing in angle-torque characteristics were tested. Read More

Dis Model Mech 2018 12 18;11(12). Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Leni & Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA

Back pain is a leading cause of disability and is strongly associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Reducing structural disruption and catabolism in IVD degeneration remains an important clinical challenge. Pro-oxidant and structure-modifying advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) contribute to obesity and diabetes, which are associated with increased back pain, and accumulate in tissues due to hyperglycemia or ingestion of foods processed at high heat. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 11 23;11:CD009783. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

The Neuroscience Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2100.

Background: Delirium is defined as a disturbance in attention, awareness and cognition with reduced ability to direct, focus, sustain and shift attention, and reduced orientation to the environment. Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) frequently develop ICU delirium. It can profoundly affect both them and their families because it is associated with increased mortality, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, longer hospital and ICU stay and long-term cognitive impairment. Read More

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2018 Nov 9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.

Background: Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) manages low back pain (LBP) with subgroup classifications. For a subgroup of the posterior derangement syndrome, postural education limiting lumbar flexion is included. However, it is not known if habitual posture in this subgroup actually changes through MDT management because of technical difficulties in monitoring habitual lumbopelvic posture. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 25;122:53-57. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.

Background: Bow hunter syndrome describes a mechanical compression of the vertebral artery on head rotation leading to reversible symptomatic vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Patients are commonly presenting with syncope, vertigo, dizziness, and visual disturbances. These symptoms usually resolve when the head is turned back into neutral position. Read More

Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2018 Nov 14;26:e3094. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Enfermagem, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Objectives: to evaluate the evidence from the literature regarding the effects of cupping therapy on chronic back pain in adults, the most used outcomes to evaluate this condition, the protocol used to apply the intervention and to investigate the effectiveness of cupping therapy on the intensity of chronic back pain.

Method: systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by two independent researchers in national and international databases. Reference lists of systematic reviews were also explored. Read More

J Man Manip Ther 2018 Dec 6;26(5):281-291. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

A detailed description of how Directional Preference (DP) constructs are measured could accelerate research to practice translation and improve research findings for Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) stakeholders. A secondary analysis of a prospective, observational cohort study was conducted to understand (1) the type and prevalence of DP constructs at first examination and (2) the relationships between DP constructs and clinical outcomes at follow-up. Data were collected and analyzed from 1485 consecutive patients who presented to outpatient, private practice clinics with primary complaints of non-specific low back pain (LBP); 400 patients met the inclusion criteria and completed first examination and follow-up data. Read More

Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2018 Nov 17:1-16. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

a Scientific Computational Research Center , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Low Center for Industrial Innocation , Troy , NY , USA.

A general multi-scale strategy is presented for modeling the mechanical environment of a group of neurons that were embedded within a collagenous matrix. The results of the multi-scale simulation are used to estimate the local strains that arise in neurons when the extracellular matrix is deformed. The distribution of local strains was found to depend strongly on the configuration of the embedded neurons relative to the loading direction, reflecting the anisotropic mechanical behavior of the neurons. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.

Charcot spinal arthropathy (CSA) is a rare spinal disorder presenting neuropathic osteoarthropathy of facet joints leading to progressive destruction. After L4-5 PLIF, a 63-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease (PD) underwent L3-4 and L5-S1 PLIF for primary adjacent segment disease caused by degenerative change, which was found as facet joint osteophytes and a vacuum disc phenomenon with endplate sclerosis. However, her postural disorder from PD deteriorated, and strong opioid analgesics were administered for severe recurring low back pain. Read More

Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2018 Jul;2018:1731-1734

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability, and there is a tremendous need for nonsurgical, nonpharmaceutical interventions to manage it. Versatile spinal exoskeletons have been proposed as a method of supporting or augmenting the wearer, but experimental data from human subjects are limited, and the effects of such exoskeletons remain poorly understood. We thus present a prototype of a reconfigurable spinal exoskeleton that features easily adjustable resistance and compression at multiple spinal levels, allowing us to study the effect of different exoskeleton configurations on the body. Read More

J R Soc Interface 2018 Nov 14;15(148). Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

Due to its high level of innervation, the lumbar facet capsular ligament (FCL) is suspected to play a role in low back pain (LBP). The nociceptors in the lumbar FCL may experience excessive deformation and generate pain signals. As such, understanding the mechanical behaviour of the FCL, as well as that of its underlying nerves, is critical if one hopes to understand its role in LBP. Read More

Ann Rehabil Med 2018 Oct 31;42(5):713-721. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.

Objective: To evaluate if shoulder and pelvic angular velocities differ at impact or peak magnitude between professional and amateur golfers. Golf swing rotational biomechanics are a key determinant of power generation, driving distance, and injury prevention. We hypothesize that shoulder and pelvic angular velocities would be highly consistent in professionals. Read More