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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Jun 19;16(12):2162.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16122162.

The Functional and Morphological Changes of the Cervical Intervertebral Disc after Applying Lordotic Curve Controlled Traction: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Chang-Hyung Lee  1 , Sung Jin Heo  2 , So Hyun Park  3 , Hee Seok Jeong  4 , Soo-Yeon Kim  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The Functional and Morphological Changes of the Cervical Intervertebral Disc after Applying Lordotic Curve Controlled Traction: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Chang-Hyung Lee et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The newly developed cervical lordotic curve-controlled traction (C-LCCT) appears to be an ideal method to improve the treatment outcome in patients with cervical intervertebral disc disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes of C-LCCT including the functional and morphological changes of the cervical intervertebral disc compared to traditional traction (TT) with a randomized controlled trial design. A total of 40 patients with cervical intervertebral disc disease at the C5/6 level confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging were recruited and assigned to either the C-LCCT group or the TT group. The comprehensive health status changes of the patients were recorded using pain and functional scores (Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Index) and morphological changes (cervical lordosis, cervical central canal area) before and after the traction treatment. Both groups showed a significant improvement in pain scores after traction (p < 0.05). The functional score and morphological changes improved significantly after treatment in the C-LCCT group. However, there was no significant improvement in the TT group (p < 0.05). The C-LCCT showed significant pain, functional, and morphological improvement compared to TT. C-LCCT could be effective in improving the treatment outcomes of the traction technique in patients with cervical intervertebral disc disease.

Keywords: cervical lordosis; function; intervertebral disc; morphology; pain; traction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Technique of cervical traction: (A) cervical lordotic curve-controlled traction (C-LCCT) and (B) traditional traction (TT).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cobb angle of cervical lordotic curve.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Central canal area in axial view of cervical spine MRI.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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