Thoracolumbar Fascia as an Overlooked Diagnosis of Chronic Back Pain: A Case Report of Successful Regenerative Treatments in an Athlete.

BACKGROUND

Chronic nonspecific low back pain is common in elite athletes, often persisting and significantly affecting training and performance despite conventional therapy.

CASE REPORT: This case report details the management of a 14-year-old triple jumper with a 16-onth history of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging was unremarkable, whereas dynamic ultrasound revealed abnormalities of the thoracolumbar fascia. The patient underwent a tiered regenerative injection strategy guided by biotensegrity principles. Initial ultrasound-guided dextrose hydrodissection was performed for adhesiolysis and analgesia, followed by leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma and platelet-poor plasma injections intended to promote tissue remodeling. The athlete reported an overall 85%-90% reduction in pain and returned to full training 4 weeks after the platelet-rich plasma/platelet-poor plasma treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This case illustrates that thoracolumbar fascia dysfunction may warrant consideration as a contributor to chronic nonspecific low back pain in young athletes. In our patient, a tiered regenerative approach resulted in substantial pain reduction and return to full training; however, controlled studies are needed to further establish efficacy of this approach or the causal treatment effect.