Get acquainted with four of the abstract submissions for EUROSPINE 2022 in Milan, which have been elected as Best of Show and will be presented in the Best of Show and Award papers session
Lumbar intervertebral discs from childhood to adulthood: a 26-year longitudinal MRI study with special reference to low back pain
Presentation by Teija Lund, Martina Lohman, Anni Aavikko, Leena Ristolainen, Hannu Kautiainen, Dietrich Schlenzka
Background: The reported life-time occurrence of low back pain (LBP) in children and adolescents varies from 7% to 72% reaching adult levels by the end of puberty. Although most children and adolescents report no LBP, 16 to 37% suffer occasional bouts, and up to 10 % report repeated episodes. Childhood LBP has been proposed a significant risk factor for LBP in adulthood.
Disc degeneration (DD) on MRI becomes more prevalent with age and is frequently seen in asymptomatic individuals. A significant increase in DD has been reported after the pubertal growth spurt with up to 44 % of adolescents with LBP demonstrating signs of DD on MRI. The value of MRI changes in predicting future LBP seems low. However, DD on MRI in early adulthood has been shown to predispose the individual for a more rapid progression of degeneration.
Purpose: In the present study, our objective was 1) to describe the natural history of lumbar intervertebral discs from childhood to adulthood, and 2) to investigate whether findings of DD are associated with LBP. Hereby we report on the association of signs of DD on MRI after the pubertal growth spurt to self-reported LBP at the age of 18 and 34.
Materials and Methods: In 1994, we recruited 94 healthy 8-year-old school children for a semi-structured interview, a clinical examination, and a lumbar spine MRI with follow-ups at the ages of 11 (n=81) and 18 (n=71). In January 2021, at the age of 34, all those subjects whose contact details were known (n=89) were invited for a long-term follow-up. 48 participants went through a semi-structured in