Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a diagnosis frequently seen in chiropractic practices. It is a relatively common condition and usually diagnosed based upon clinical findings. It is common, however, to see imaging findings on MRI for this condition. PS may exhibit symptoms similar to lumbar disc herniation in some cases, i.e., chronic gluteal pain with radiation into the lower extremity similar to L5-S1 radiculopathy.
Read More
I find that the issue of spondylolisthesis has been the subject of much misinformation over the years. There are several misconceptions that I run into repeatedly in my radiology practice. I would like to review some of the basics of common spondylolistheses and hopefully dispel some of the more common, but inaccurate, beliefs.
Read More
Although the axiom, “When you hear hoofbeats behind, you expect to turn around and see a horse and not a zebra,” is generally true, there are exceptions to all rules. The following is a case study of a patient I encountered recently that is an example of this rule breaking, and it emphasizes the unparalleled role of MRI in the differential diagnosis. In this article, I will review the imaging in this case, because it is quite striking.
Read More
As the population continues to age and the average life span increases, spinal stenosis will become an even more prevalent cause of lower back pain.
Read More
Degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease is seen often on our radiographs that it is tempting to label any joint as DJD.
Read More
Chondromalacia patella (CP) is a relatively common condition involving the knee that pathologically features the softening of the hyaline cartilage of the patella. Unlike degenerative conditions, however, it tends to involve a younger age group. The condition is slightly more common in females. Typically, there is anterior knee pain on ascending or descending stairs or after kneeling or squatting for long periods of time.
Read More
Soft tissue findings are frequently overlooked in plain film x-rays. Although x-ray is not generally considered to be sensitive in the detection of soft tissue lesions, in some instances x-ray may actually provide a good deal of information about the soft tissue. In fact, the x-ray appearance of a soft tissue lesion can be a determining factor in deciding if additional imaging is necessary. A condition in which this is particularly true is myositis ossificans (MO).
Read More
It has been estimated that atrophy of the paraspinal muscles occurs in 20%-60% of people suffering with chronic lower back pain.
Read More
