Radiographically Detectable Degenerative Changes of the Lumbar Spine Among Concrete Reinforcement Workers and House Painters

Riihimäki, Hilkka; Mattsson, Tor; Zitting, Antti; Wickström, Gustav; Hänninen, K; Waris, Pekka

doi:10.1097/00007632-199002000-00013

Cited by 73 publications

(44 citation statements)

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“…Vertebral osteophytosis is related to manual labor and patterns of heavy loading [6,7,15,16,18,19,24]. Riihimäki et al [16] concluded that heavy physical work did not alter, but merely enhanced the degenerative process of the lumbar spine. Anterior osteophytes are spurs of bone where ligaments are inserted and are a reflection of the physiology of life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiographic changes in the lumbar spine in former professional football players: a comparative and matched controlled study

et al. 2007

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Heavy physical work and activity lead to degenerative changes, especially in the lumbar spine. We aimed to find out the occurence of radiographic changes (vertebral osteophytes, heights of lumbar dicsc, concavity index) and abnormalities of the lumbar spine in former professional football (association football or soccer) players according to their specialization (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward) in their past professional sport life.We included 70 male former professional football players and 59 men as the control group. The football players group consisted of 15 defenders (21%), 29 midfielders (41%), 18 forwards (26%) and 8 goalkeepers (12%). Their mean professional football life was 11.04 years and the mean time period after their retirement was 13.87 years. Radiographs of both groups were taken to measure the disc height, concavity index and to determine osteophytes and abnormalities of the lumbar spine. FFbH-R score was assessed for daily activities.The mean FFbH-R score of football players was lower than that of the control group (P = 0.005). The total number of osteophytes in the player group was higher than in the control group (P = 0.001). The mean disc height of L1-L2 in football players was higher than in the control group (P = 0.045). The mean disc height of T12-L1 in goalkeepers was higher than in forward players (P = 0.019). The mean concavity index of L1 in forward players was lower than in defenders (P = 0.018). The mean disc heights of T12-L1 and L2-L3 were both higher in players whose professional sport life was[10 years than in players with B10 years (P = 0.018, P = 0.016). The mean disc height of L5-S1 was higher in players who had continued sport activity after retirement (P = 0.025). No statistically significant result was obtained with the rest of the variables.Playing football is heavy work. The decreased height of lumbar discs and the lower value of concavity index of forward players are because the lumbar spine of forward players is loaded more than in the rest of the players.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiographic changes in the lumbar spine in former professional football players: a comparative and matched controlled study

et al. 2007

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“…The collective results are difficult to interpret because the definition and classification of degenerative changes vary from one study to another. Several studies have concluded that heavy work is related to the development of disc degeneration [4,24,27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of the lumbar spine and low back pain, age and occupation in males

1997

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The purpose of this study was to undertake a critical review of the potential role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of low back pain (LBP) and to determine if there were differences in the MRI appearances between various occupational groups. The study group, 149 working men (78 aged 20-30 years and 71 aged 31-58 years) from five different occupations (car production workers, ambulance men, office staff, hospital porters and brewery draymen), underwent MRI of the lumbar spine. Thirty-four percent of the subjects had never experienced LBR Twelve months later, the examination was repeated on 89 men. Age-related differences were seen in the MRI appearances of the lumbar spine. Disc degeneration was most common at L5/S 1 and was significantly more prevalent (P < 0.01) in the older age group (52%) than in the younger age group (27%). Although LBP was more prevalent in the older subjects there was no relationship between LBP and disc degeneration. No differences in the MRI appearance of the lumbar spine were observed between the five occupational groups. Overall, 45% had 'abnormal' lumbar spines (evidence of disc degeneration, disc bulging or protrusion, facet hypertrophy, or nerve root compression). There was not a clear relationship between the MRI appearance of the lumbar spine and LBR Thirtytwo percent of asymptomatic subjects had 'abnormal' lumbar spines and 47% of all the subjects who had experienced LBP had 'normal' lumbar spines. During the 12-month follow-up period, 13 subjects experienced LBP for the first time. However, there was no change in the MRI appearances of their lumbar spines that could account for the onset of LBR Although MRI is an excellent technique for evaluating the lumbar spine, this study shows that it does not provide a suitable pre-employment screening technique capable of identifying those at risk of LBR

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“…13 However, overweight did not have an effect on the prevalence of disc degeneration among concrete reinforcement workers and painters in a cross-sectional X-ray study. 14 Symmons et al 15 studied women aged 45-64 y in a 9-y follow-up with repeated lumbar radiographs, and found that increased body mass index (BMI) was a risk factor of degeneration. Parkkola et al 16 found a positive association between overweight and disc degeneration of the L1 disc but not at any other level in a study of 74 healthy volunteers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disc degeneration of the lumbar spine in relation to overweight

et al. 2005

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OBJECTIVE:To study the association between overweight and lumbar disc degeneration. DESIGN: Population-based 4-y follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 129 working middle-aged men selected to the baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study from a cohort of 1832 men representing three occupations: machine drivers, construction carpenters, and office workers. The selection was based on the paticipants'age (40-45 y) and place of residence. MR images of the lumbar spines were obtained at baseline and at 4-y follow-up. MEASUREMENTS: Signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus of the discs L2/L3-L4/L5 was visually assessed by two readers using the adjacent cerebrospinal fluid as an intensity reference. The weight (at age 25 and 40-45 y) and height of the subjects, history of car driving, smoking, and back injuries were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses allowing for occupation, history of car driving, smoking, and back injuries showed that persistent overweight (body mass index (BMI) Z25 kg/m 2 at both ages) associated strongly with an increased risk of the number of lumbar discs with decreased signal intensity of nucleus pulposus at follow-up, adjusted odds ratio (OR) being 4.3 (95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) 1.3-14.3). Overweight at young age (risk ratio (RR) 3.8; 95% CI 1.4-10.4) was a stronger predictor of an increase in the number of degenerated discs during follow-up than overweight in middle age (RR 1.3; 95% CI 0.7-2.7). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence that the BMI above 25 kg/m 2 increases the risk of lumbar disc degeneration. Overweight at young age seems to be particularly detrimental.

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Radiographically Detectable Degenerative Changes of the Lumbar Spine Among Concrete Reinforcement Workers and House Painters

Cited by 73 publications

References 0 publications

Radiographic changes in the lumbar spine in former professional football players: a comparative and matched controlled study

Radiographic changes in the lumbar spine in former professional football players: a comparative and matched controlled study

The relationship between the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of the lumbar spine and low back pain, age and occupation in males

Disc degeneration of the lumbar spine in relation to overweight

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