Magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of the lumbar spine in the early and late postoperative periods after manipulative therapy

We analyzed data from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 109 patients, who had undergone surgery on the lumbar hernia and later developed pain after manipulative therapy. Patients were divided into two groups: the first group included 67 patients with pain (61.5%), the second group consisted of 42 (38.5%) patients with limited mobility of the operated vertebral-motor segments. In the first group we identified 32 (47.8%) patients with paravertebral swelling of the surrounding adipose tissue, 9 (13.4%) patients with injuries of the paravertebral muscles. 11 (16.4%) patients of that group had the anterior displacement of L4, L5 vertebrae. 15 (22,4%) patients of the first group had an increase in the size of the previously discovered disc protrusion pinched by the vertebrae and disc edema in the area of protrusion. MRI is a highly informative method of clarifying the causes of pain in patients after manipulative therapy.