Applied anatomy of Spine - Mechanical back pain Flashcards
What are the red flags for back pain ?
What is mechanical back pain ?
What are ligaments ?
A ligament is a fibrous connective tissue that attaches bone to bone,
What is a sprain ?
ligaments are over stretched or torn
what is a strain ?
muscles or tendons affected
What is a tendon ?
Tendons connect your muscles to your bones
How to treat a Strain or a Sprain ?
No imaging required
NSAIDS and Physiotherapy
90 % recovery
What are the facet joints important for?
Joints that connect corresponding vertebrae via the neural arch
They add stability and limit movement
What issues may you see with the facet joints in the spine ?
Areas are prone to inflammatory and arthritic changes
Degenerative changes:
Bone outgrowths
Nerve impingement
Spinal stenosis (less common)
What is spinal stenosis ?
What causes it ?
What symptoms?
How to diagnose ?
WHat part of the spine is usually most effected
- Narrowing of vertebral canal or intervertebral foramen
- Several different causes:
- Osteoarthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Ligament thickening or calcification
- Causes back pain, neurogenic claudication but neurological deficits are uncommon
- X-rays = overgrowth of facet joints, disc narrowing and osteophytes, MRI best if neuro symptoms
- Analgesia +/- adjuncts, may require surgery if chronic or acute neurological deficit (rare)
- Most common in lumbar region.
What does spondy mean ?
Spine
what does “spondylosis” mean
degenerative OA
What does “ spondylitis” mean ?
inflammation
what does “spondylolysis” mean ?
stress fracture of the pars interarticularis
this is a stable fracture
what is spondylolisthesis
fracture plus “slip forward” of one vertebrae on another
this is unstable fracture
