At some point in their lives, as many as eight out of ten adults are likely to utter the phrase "Oh, my aching back!" According to the Spine-Health Web site, acute back pain is the second most common cause of missed workdays due to illness, and the most common cause of disability. Often left untreated, chronic back pain problems account for as much as $80 billion dollars worth of healthcare expenditures annually in the U.S.
Needless to say, finding the causes of back pain depends to a great degree on imaging results. Dr. Naveed Ahmad tackles radiography of the lumbar spine in our continuing series on optimal patient positioning. In this comprehensive how-to article, Ahmad covers the pros and cons of PA versus AP projection of the lumbar-lumbosacral spine, the rotation of the vertebral column, and the best way to delineate spondylothisthesis. Get the rest of the story in our X-Ray Digital Community.
For more information about lumbar imaging, tap into our Residents Digital Community for two related book reviews. Imaging of the Lumbar Spine: A Teaching Atlas, and Image-Guided Spine Intervention are both spine-tingling reads, according to our reviewers.
