PREVALANCE OF RADIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION IN LOW BACK PAIN – AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: Lumbar spine pathology is major healthcare burden encountered in district and urban hospitals. Diagnostic imaging in these patients is not always indicated.Imaging is considered in those patients who show little or no improvement in their LBP after approximately six weeks of medical management with or without physical therapy,the current study was undertaken to assess the appropriateness of LBP imaging in primary care following the ACP guidelines. Method: The inclusion criteria for the study were adult patients with persistent low back pain with or without radiculopathy post six weeks of medical management affecting their activity of daily living. And the exclusion criteria were spinal trauma ,neurological impairment,bladder and bowel involvement, spinal malformations,history of malignancy presenting at the time of index visit. Result: The study included total 115 patients. Out of 115 patients 87 [70%] patients showed abnormal finding on the radiographs.The most common abnormal finding was disco vertebral degeneration such as spondylosis (osteophyte formation) in 49.6%. Conclusion: Routine x-ray imaging in low back pain patients is not always warranted. Moreover routine radiological imaging methods are not associated with meaningful clinical outcomes for the patients. Unnecessary imaging can lead to harmful radiation exposure of the patients and can further lead to additional medical expenditure and needless surgical intervention. Diagnostic radiological imaging should be used judicially.