Palpation of the lumbar spine
Localised tenderness in the lumbar spine may be caused by damage to:
- muscle - either trauma to the muscles or as a result of protective spasm
- ligament - sprains or rupture
- bone - fractures of e.g. transverse process, spinous process or body of vertebra
- intervertebral disc - a prolapsed disc may cause localised pain as well as referred pain
Special attention is paid to tenderness at the lumbosacral junction. A sprain of the sacroiliac joint results in tenderness alone; in cases of lumbosacral junctional spondylolisthesis tenderness may be accompanied by a palpable step.
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