Morphology of cervical spine meniscoids in individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorder: A case-control study

Abstract

FisheyeSTUDY DESIGN: Case-control study. FisheyeBACKGROUND: Cervical spine meniscoids are thought to contribute to neck pain and hypomobility in individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD); however, their morphology has not been studied in a clinical population. FisheyeOBJECTIVES: To investigate cervical spine meniscoid morphology in individuals with chronic WAD. FisheyeMETHODS: Twenty volunteers with chronic WAD (mean ± SD age, 39.3 ± 11.0 years; 10 female) and 20 age- and sex-matched controls (age, 39.1 ± 10.6 years) underwent cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging. Lateral atlantoaxial and zygapophyseal joints (C2-3 to C6-7) were inspected for meniscoids. Length of meniscoid protrusion was measured and composition (adipose/fibrous/fibroadipose) assessed. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and linear and logistic regression (P