Influence of school backpacks on adolescent back pain.

In a sample of 3,498 students living in two counties in California, each student's weight and backpack load were measured. Demographic information as well as information about backpack use was obtained. Nonspecific mechanical back pain was found to be highly prevalent, and the reported severity and chronicity of pain were high.

Diskography outcomes in patients following lumbar diskectomy.

The results of lumbar diskography at post-diskectomy and nonoperative disk levels in postoperative patients and patients without prior back surgery were reviewed over 3 years. Other possible predictive factors, including disk degeneration (per the Adam's classification), end-point resistance, gender, and age, also were reviewed. The results revealed that no statistically significant association was noted between the presence of a prior diskectomy and the outcome of diskography.