Back pain and spinal deformity in cystic fibrosis
J. Ross, J. Gamble, A. Schultz and N. Lewiston
Division of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Children Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA 94304.
Back pain is a common complaint of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF).
We studied back pain in our patient population in three ways: a
questionnaire, an orthopedic evaluation, and a survey of chest
roentgenograms. Forty-seven patients with CF reported back pain as compared
with seven controls. Patients with CF showed decreased muscle strength and
mobility in the trunk, chest, and shoulders. The incidence of structural
kyphosis was only 8.7%, but many had vertebral wedging. Much of the back
pain may be due to postural abnormalities or to vertebral wedging, not
fixed structural kyphosis.
