The oblique parasagittal diameter of the lumbar spinal canal at the L5-SI level was measured in 49 employees of the Wm Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans' Hospital using real time ultrasound in a case-control study. Individuals with a canal diameter of less than 14 mm represented the lowest 10th percentile in this population and being in the narrowest 10th percentile constituted a risk factor for time missed from work because oflow back pain (odds ratio 10-7). Whereas numbers in this pilot study are small, results are consistent with earlier ultrasound studies done in the United Kingdom and with other research showing increased morbidity from low back pain in individuals with small lumbar canals. Ultrasound has advantages over other modalities for measuring the size of the lumbar canal and may be useful as a preplacement screening examination in industry.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.