Patterns of Lumbar Disc Degeneration: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis in Symptomatic Subjects

Asian Spine Journal

Akinobu Suzuki¹  Chengjie Xiong²  Tetsuo Hayashi³  Monchai Ruangchainikom⁴  Kevin Phan⁵  Michael D. Daubs⁶  Trevor P. Scott⁷  Jeffrey C. Wang⁸ 

[1] Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan;Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, General Hospital of the Central Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, Wuhan, China;Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Japan Organization of Occupational Health and Safety, Spinal Injuries Center, Fukuoka, Japan;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, NY, USA;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA;Proliance Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Bellevue, WA, USA;USC Spine Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA;

关键词: intervertebral disc degeneration;    magnetic resonance imaging;    low back pain;    patterns of degeneration;   

DOI  :  10.31616/asj.2020.0325

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Study Design Cross-sectional study. Purpose To evaluate lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in symptomatic subjects to accumulate baseline data on the pattern of degeneration. Overview of Literature LDD plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of low-back pain in patients. Few studies have focused on the pattern of LDD to understand how the lumbar spine ages. Methods This study included 1,095 patients (mean age, 44.29 years; range, 16–85 years) who underwent upright lumbar MRI. LDD was graded into five categories (I–V). Positive LDD was defined as grade III or greater. The prevalence and pattern of LDD were analyzed, and the correlations between age and total grade of LDD were evaluated. Results The average number of LDD levels and the total grade of LDD increased with age. LDD moved cephalad with age. The rate of LDD increased rapidly during the decade before the prevalence of LDD and became >50%. In the single-level LDD group, the levels L5–S1 were the most common levels (60.3%). In the two-level group, L4–L5 and L5–S1 were the most common levels (53.5%). In the three-level group, L3–L4, L4–L5, and L5–S1 were the most common levels (55.7%). In the multilevel LDD group, contiguous multilevel disc degeneration (CMDD) was more common than the skipped level disc degeneration (SLDD). The levels L4–L5 were the most common levels in the CMDD group, and L5–S1 were the most common levels among SLDD. Conclusions LDD was found to correlate with age, and the specific patterns and rates of LDD depended on lumbar disc level and age. These LDD pattern data can be used before spinal procedures to predict the probability of natural LDD progression with age.

【 授权许可】

Unknown