There are differences in the rates of injury among playing positions in field hockey and in the types of acute injury sustained at each position. The high number of injuries to the head and face region is also cause for concern. Although most of these injuries are minor, the serious injuries that do occur can be very severe. Now that these patterns have been identified, further examination of the playing situations that lead to injury should be undertaken.
This study examines the relationship between radiological evidence of lumbar transitional vertebrae (LTV) and the clinical presentation of low back pain (LBP). A retrospective review of 232 consecutive patients presenting at a specialist musculo-skeletal clinic with LBP was conducted. The medical chart for each patient was reviewed for: gender, birth date, symptoms, physical findings, imaging results, and medications prescribed. Subjects were recognized as having a lumbar transitional vertebra if it was noted on their x-ray report. The prevalence of LTV was 9.5 %. This study is consistent with previous research, indicating that the prevalence of LTV is not significantly higher amongst patients with LBP. However, this study also provides further detail about the clinical presentation and management of patients with LTV. The information presented in this study will assist health care professionals in determining the clinical significance of a LTV seen on an x-ray film or noted in a radiologist's report.
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.