Risk factors for lumbar intervertebral disc height narrowing: a population-based longitudinal study in the elderly

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Research Article

Tomomi Yamada¹  Koji Akeda²  Akinobu Nishimura²  Akihiro Sudo²  Nozomu Inoue³ 

[1] Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, 565-0871, Suita City, Osaka, Japan;Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, 514-8507, Tsu City, Mie, Japan;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Orthopedic Building 205 J, 60612, Chicago, Illinois, USA;

关键词: Disc Degeneration;    Lumbar Disc;    Disc Height;    Disc Level;    Disc Space Narrowing;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12891-015-0798-5

 received in 2015-03-12, accepted in 2015-10-31,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe progression of disc degeneration is generally believed to be associated with low back pain and/or degenerative lumbar diseases, especially in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate changes in lumbar disc height using radiographic measurements and to investigate risk factors for development of disc height narrowing of the elderly.MethodsFrom 1997 to 2007, 197 village inhabitants at least 65 years-old who participated in baseline examinations and more than four follow-up examinations conducted every second year were chosen as subjects for this study. Using lateral lumbar spine radiographs of each subject, L1-L2 to L5-S1 disc heights were measured. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the rate of change in disc height: mildly decreased (≤20 % decrease) and severely decreased (>20 % decrease). A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis was used to select those factors significantly associated with disc height narrowing.ResultsDisc height at each intervertebral disc (IVD) level decreased gradually over ten years (p < 0.01, an average 5.8 % decrease of all disc levels). There was no significant difference in the rate of change in disc height among the IVD levels. Female gender, radiographic knee osteoarthritis and low back pain at baseline were associated with increased risk for disc height narrowing.ConclusionsWe conducted the first population-based cohort study of the elderly that quantitatively evaluated lumbar disc height using radiographic measurements. The risk factors identified in this study would contribute to a further understanding the pathology of disc degeneration.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Akeda et al. 2015