The holey spine: a summary of the history of scientific investigation of the intervertebral foramina.

The intervertebral foramina (IVFs) are important to all individuals who treat disorders of the spine, but this region is of special historic significance to chiropractors. This is because some of the earliest descriptions of the mechanism of action of chiropratic were related to the IVFs. The history of investigation of the IVFs is very rich spanning time from the fifth century B.

Effects of side-posture positioning and side-posture adjusting on the lumbar zygapophysial joints as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging: a before and after study with randomization.

Objective: To test the a priori hypothesis that one of the positive mechanisms of action of chiropractic side-posture manipulation (adjusting) of the lumbar spine is to separate, or gap, the zygapophysial (Z) joints.

Design: Before and after study with randomization.

Setting: Chiropractic college clinic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility.

Biological activity of Melaleuca alternifola (Tea Tree) oil component, terpinen-4-ol, in human myelocytic cell line HL-60.

Background: Tea tree oil is an aboriginal Australian traditional medicine for bruises, insect bites, and skin infections. It was rediscovered in the 1920s as a topical antiseptic that is more effective than Phenol. Previous studies have demonstrated its antiseptic qualities, but its effects on human white blood cells have never been investigated.

Physician-applied contact pressure and table force response during unilateral thoracic manipulation.

Objective: To measure the applied loading to human subjects during the reinforced unilateral thoracic manipulation.

Design: Biomechanical descriptive study.

Setting: The National College of Chiropractic Clinical Biomechanical Laboratory in Lombard, Illinois.

An analytical model of lumbar motion segment in flexion.

Objective: To develop an analytical model of the lumbar motion segment and to determine the following under the application of flexion physiological loads: (1) the force displacement relationships of the lumbar motion segment; (2) the forces in the ligaments, disc, and facet joints; (3) the strains in the ligaments; and (4) the effect of the transection of the ligaments.

Design: Computer modeling.

Setting: Spinal Ergonomics and Joint Research Laboratory at The National College of Chiropractic.

Spinal manipulative therapy versus a low force mimic maneuver for women with primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, observer-blinded, clinical trial.

Non-drug therapies for women with primary dysmenorrhea are primarily based on anecdotal evidence and small-scale clinical studies. This randomized, observer-blinded, clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in the treatment of women with primary dysmenorrhea. Women were recruited from the Chicago metropolitan area and evaluated for inclusion through four screening levels.

Spina bifida occulta mimicking a destructive lesion.

Objective: To discuss an unusual presentation of spina bifida occulta (SBO) mimicking an aggressive bone lesion.

Clinical Features: A 59-yr-old man suffered from intermittent neck pain. The plain film radiographs revealed rarefaction of the C6 spinous process that mimicked an aggressive bone lesion.

Effects of Sl nerve-root lengthening on tibial nerve F-wave latency in healthy subjects.

Objective: To determine if lengthening the tibial portion of the sciatic nerve in healthy patients significantly alters F-wave latency.

Subjects: Ten volunteer students (6 men and 4 women).

Setting: Chiropractic college clinic.

Manipulation under epidural anesthesia with corticosteroid injection: two case reports.

Objective: To discuss the combined use of selective epidural steroid injection (ESI) and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in treating recalcitrant lumbar radiculopathy.

Clinical Features: In a first case, a patient suffered from numbness and pain in an S1 dermatome distribution 6 months after undergoing lumbar discectomy. Clinical correlation with advanced imaging led to the diagnosis of L5 intervertebral disc (IVD) syndrome with peridural scar formation.

The use of epidural steroid injection and manipulation on patients with chronic low back pain.

Objectives: To document the efficacy of combined epidural steroid injection (ESI) and manipulation to the lumbar spine in patients suffering from chronic low back pain (LBP).

Summary Of Background Data: The use of ESI in conjunction with lumbar manipulation has seldom been reported in the literature but has offered promising results when studied.

Study Design: Retrospective repeated-measures analysis of patients with chronic LBP who received ESIs combined with spinal manipulation.

Basic science research in chiropractic: the state of the art and recommendations for a research agenda.

A position paper was prepared as background information for participants in the National Workshop to Develop the Chiropractic Workshop Agenda conducted by the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Davenport, Iowa. The paper was revised in light of comments and suggestions at the workshop by participants and by a workgroup composed of basic scientists from within and outside of chiropractic. This final article documents the history of basic science research in chiropractic, and the current state of the art of basic science research conducted since 1975 by chiropractors or investigators at chiropractic institutions in North America.

Gross anatomic evidence of partitioning in the human fibularis longus and brevis muscles.

Evidence from a variety of studies suggests that many mammalian muscles are partitioned with respect to their architecture and innervation. Each of these specific muscle subvolumes is innervated by an individual muscle nerve branch, contains motor unit territories with a unique array of physiological attributes and has been known as a neuromuscular compartment or segment. This gross anatomic study investigated for evidence of neuromuscular segmentation in human fibularis (peroneus) longus and brevis muscles.

The communicating branch of the lateral plantar nerve: a descriptive anatomic study.

Since the communicating branch of the lateral plantar nerve has been implicated as a factor in the etiology of Morton's neuroma, a painful perineurofibrosis of a common plantar digital nerve, this project was designed to investigate the anatomy of this communicating branch. Both feet of 40 embalmed human cadavers were dissected to show the frequency of occurrence and anatomical variation of the communicating branch. The communicating branch was present in 66.

Biomechanical performance of spinal manipulation therapy by newly trained vs. practicing providers: does experience transfer to unfamiliar procedures?

Objective: To examine the differences in predefined biomechanical parameters of spinal manipulation using a single method common to the training of both novice and expert manipulators.

Design: Analytic Cohort Study.

Participants: Fifteen novice manipulators and fifteen experienced physicians provided 2 applications of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) to 15 healthy, male student volunteers.

Comparison of 1.5 Tesla and 0.35 Tesla field strength magnetic resonance imaging scans in the morphometric evaluation of the lumbar intervertebral foramina.

Objective: To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans obtained from 1.5 Tesla (T) MRI units with scans obtained from 0.35T MRI units in the morphometric evaluation of the lumbar intervertebral foramina (IVF).

Styloid chain ossification: report of a case with articulations.

A bilateral ossified stylohyoid ligament was observed in a cadaver specimen. On the left side, the stylohyoid chain was markedly enlarged. The stylohyoid ligament was completely ossified into two segments separated by a diarthrodial-like joint.

Fracture of a lamina in the cervical spine.

Objective: To present an uncommon case of an isolated lamina fracture in the cervical spine found by taking stress films when a routine cervical series failed to demonstrate it.

Clinical Features: A 63-yr-old male was seen after suffering from mild neck pain and stiffness of 4 days' duration after a car accident. A review of emergency room X-rays demonstrated a small fragment of bone adjacent to the anterior superior end-plate of C6.

The effects of transforaminal ligaments on the sizes of T11 to L5 human intervertebral foramina.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the effects of the presence of transforaminal ligaments (TFL) on the superior-to-inferior dimension (SI) and anterior-to-posterior dimension (AP) of the compartment containing the ventral ramus of the spinal nerve (VR) in the intervertebral foramen (IVF).

Design: Four lumbar spines, including T12 and in one case T11, were obtained from embalmed cadavers and carefully dissected to expose the contents of the IVF. All ligamentous structures in the vicinity of the IVF were preserved.

Syndesmotic ankle sprain in a recreational hockey player.

Objective: To present a case of distal tibiofibular sprain, a rare injury among ubiquitous lateral ligament sprains of the ankle.

Clinical Features: A 45-yr-old recreational hockey player was treated for an ankle sprain demonstrating increased translation on the drawer test and pain with inversion stress, but also pain with external rotation and dorsiflexion. X-rays demonstrated no fractures.

Lymphocyte profiles in patients with chronic low back pain enrolled in a clinical trial.

Objective: Our earlier findings suggest that patients with musculoskeletal complaints have lower numbers and percentages of natural killer (NK) cells than asymptomatic subjects. This study examines patient lymphocyte profiles, as a secondary outcome measure, in a trial of manipulative therapies to treat chronic low back pain (LBP) of mechanical origin.

Design: The patients were compared in a randomized controlled trial.

Diagnosis of low back pain, secondary to prostate metastasis to the lumbar spine, by digital rectal examination and serum prostate-specific antigen.

Objective: To present a case in which the initial diagnosis of spinal metastasis secondary to prostate cancer was established from findings of the digital rectal examination (DRE) and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) analysis.

Clinical Features: A 79-yr-old black male was seen after suffering from low back pain for 1 month. Urinary frequency and nocturia were associated symptoms.