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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

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

Authors: Koji Akeda, Tomomi Yamada, Nozomu Inoue, Akinobu Nishimura, Akihiro Sudo

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

The 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.

Methods

From 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.

Results

Disc 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.

Conclusions

We 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.
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Metadata
Title
Risk factors for lumbar intervertebral disc height narrowing: a population-based longitudinal study in the elderly
Authors
Koji Akeda
Tomomi Yamada
Nozomu Inoue
Akinobu Nishimura
Akihiro Sudo
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0798-5

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