It is well known that cervical spondylosis in athetoid cerebral palsy results from abnormal muscle tension. However there is no information on low back pain in athetoid cerebral palsy. Sixty-one athetoid cerebral palsy workers were investigated by questionnaire.
Forty-one (67.2%) athetoid cerebral palsy workers had low back pain in daily life. X-ray examination was performed on 29 athetoid cerebral palsy workers. Lumbar spondylolyses were shown in 17 (58.6%). Endplate lesions of the lumbar vertebral body were found in 91 vertebras (53.5%). There were no significant differences between age and occurrence of low back pain or spondylolyses. These results suggest that abnormal athetoid mortion is related to the occurrence of the spondylolyses.
