COMPARISON OF TOTAL LUMBOSACRAL FLEXION AND TRUE LUMBAR FLEXION MEASURED BY A DUAL INCLINOMETER TECHNIQUE

Study Design. This study investigated the interrelationship between to tal lumbosacral flexion and true lumbar flexion in a population of chr onic low back pain sufferers, measured with a dual inclinometer techni que. Correlations with self-reported disability also were assessed. Se lf-reported disability was measured with the Million Visual Analog Sca le. Objectives. To assess whether total lumbosacral flexion could be s ubstituted for true lumbar flexion in the clinical evaluation of trunk mobility. To determine which measure of flexion is a better predictor of self-reported disability after an intensive rehabilitation program for chronic spinal disorders. Summary of Background Data. Eighty-nine consecutive patients with chronic low back pain were evaluated. Fourt een subjects were excluded because of previous surgery. Seventy-five m eet inclusion criteria and underwent quantification of lumbar mobility . Sixty-four met literacy criteria and were administered the Million V isual Analog Scale. Thirty-six patients completed rehabilitation and w ere re-evaluated at program completion for lumbar mobility. Thirty-thr ee were re-evaluated with the Million Visual Analog Scale. Results. Pe arson's correlation coefficients for lumbar versus total flexion were r = 0.88 for initial evaluation and r = 0.84 after treatment. Correlat ion coefficients also were calculated for lumbar flexion and total fle xion with disability scores. Before treatment, both measurements accou nted for similar amounts of the variance in disability scores. However , after treatment, total flexion correlated higher with self-reported disability (r = -0.62 versus r = -0.43). Conclusions. Our results sugg est that total lumbosacral flexion may be as equally relevant as true lumbar flexion in the measurement of trunk mobility in the clinical ex amination of patients with chronic low back pain. Regarding their rela tionship to self-reported disability, total flexion seems to be more r elevant to outcome after intensive rehabilitation.