Introduction: The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of seated combined extension-compression and transverse load (ECTL) traction as a new method for increasing a reduced lordosis of less than 30 degrees in a Malaysian population between the ages of 18 and 60 years. Possible changes in disc height were measured in accordance with the underlying theoretical framework, that suggests the anterior cervical structures would elongate due to creep over the fulcrum of the traction device.
Method: This was a single centre, randomised, blinded controlled clinical trial with parallel groups, used to test the superiority of the seated combined ECTL traction together with physiotherapy exercises when compared with the same physiotherapy exercises used as a control. Fifty randomly allocated subjects who completed the forty treatments over the fourteen weeks were analysed using non-parametric tests for changes in outcomes.
Results: There were no significant changes in outcomes for disc height changes seen in this study. The findings of a greater overall increase in posterior disc height changes compared with anterior disc height changes were in contrast with the proposed underlying theoretical framework for this type of ECTL traction. The greater height changes occurring in the control group were also unexpected.
Conclusion: The findings in this study of the contrasting changes in disc height of greater posterior than anterior height changes, question the underlying theoretical framework as postulated for this type of traction.
Introduction: Renal size measurement using ultrasound is a valuable parameter in the diagnosis of renal function and its diseases. This study is aimed to determine the differences of mean and correlation between the renal length (RL), renal width (RW) and renal parenchymal thickness (RPT) with age, gender and anthropometric measurements among indigenous population in Malaysia. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in this sur- vey. Abdominal sonography was performed on 240 subjects. Sonography of the renal size included measurements of RL, RW and RPT. A portable ultrasound machine (Mindray DP-50, Shenzen, China) with a 3.5 MHz convex probe was used in this study. An independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient test
were performed in statistical analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS program version 22.0. A P-value of