Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine
Introduction: Intervertebral disk degeneration is a universal and natural process. However, no reports have summarized anatomical age-related intervertebral disk height and disk degenerative changes in the thoracolumbar spine or examined sex-specific differences. This study aimed to establish age-re...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Spine Surgery and Related Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ssrr/6/4/6_2021-0187/_pdf/-char/en |
| _version_ | 1811214601871687680 |
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| author | Masaaki Machino Hiroaki Nakashima Keigo Ito Mikito Tsushima Kei Ando Kazuyoshi Kobayashi Shiro Imagama |
| author_facet | Masaaki Machino Hiroaki Nakashima Keigo Ito Mikito Tsushima Kei Ando Kazuyoshi Kobayashi Shiro Imagama |
| author_sort | Masaaki Machino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Intervertebral disk degeneration is a universal and natural process. However, no reports have summarized anatomical age-related intervertebral disk height and disk degenerative changes in the thoracolumbar spine or examined sex-specific differences. This study aimed to establish age-related changes and gender-specific differences of intervertebral disk height and disk degeneration of the thoracolumbar spine in a large cohort of relatively healthy subjects and also to evaluate the relationship between the degree of thoracolumbar disk height and disk degeneration.
Methods: Six hundred and twenty-seven relatively healthy subjects (307 males and 320 females; average age, 49.6±16.5 years) were enrolled. We included at least 50 males and 50 females in each decade of life between the 20s and the 70s. We measured intervertebral disk height from T10/T11 to L5/S1, vertebral body height from T10 to S1 on lateral neutral radiographs. Lumbar disk degeneration was defined according to the Pfirrmann classification in sagittal plane magnetic resonance imaging.
Results: Age-related decreases in intervertebral disk height were most prominent at L4/L5 in middle-aged and elderly individuals of both sexes. The grade of disk degeneration significantly increased with age in both genders at every level. Mild disk degeneration was observed even in the 20s. The disk degeneration occurred around the L4/L5 level. Although grade V disk degeneration was not identified for males in the 20s and the 30s, it appeared after the 40s and then increased further with age. The intervertebral disk height at the lower lumbar disks decreased with a progression in the disk degeneration grade in both genders.
Conclusions: This large-scale cross-sectional analysis of the thoracolumbar spine in relatively healthy subjects demonstrated that lumbar disk height narrowing progresses with age and is correlated with the progression of disk degeneration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:06:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8495bb4de4674195a311b0521d9603c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2432-261X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:06:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | The Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Spine Surgery and Related Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-8495bb4de4674195a311b0521d9603c92022-12-22T03:44:51ZengThe Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related ResearchSpine Surgery and Related Research2432-261X2022-07-016437938710.22603/ssrr.2021-01872021-0187Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar SpineMasaaki Machino0Hiroaki Nakashima1Keigo Ito2Mikito Tsushima3Kei Ando4Kazuyoshi Kobayashi5Shiro Imagama6Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of MedicineDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of MedicineDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Japan Organization of Occupational Health and SafetyDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Japan Organization of Occupational Health and SafetyDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of MedicineDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of MedicineDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of MedicineIntroduction: Intervertebral disk degeneration is a universal and natural process. However, no reports have summarized anatomical age-related intervertebral disk height and disk degenerative changes in the thoracolumbar spine or examined sex-specific differences. This study aimed to establish age-related changes and gender-specific differences of intervertebral disk height and disk degeneration of the thoracolumbar spine in a large cohort of relatively healthy subjects and also to evaluate the relationship between the degree of thoracolumbar disk height and disk degeneration. Methods: Six hundred and twenty-seven relatively healthy subjects (307 males and 320 females; average age, 49.6±16.5 years) were enrolled. We included at least 50 males and 50 females in each decade of life between the 20s and the 70s. We measured intervertebral disk height from T10/T11 to L5/S1, vertebral body height from T10 to S1 on lateral neutral radiographs. Lumbar disk degeneration was defined according to the Pfirrmann classification in sagittal plane magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Age-related decreases in intervertebral disk height were most prominent at L4/L5 in middle-aged and elderly individuals of both sexes. The grade of disk degeneration significantly increased with age in both genders at every level. Mild disk degeneration was observed even in the 20s. The disk degeneration occurred around the L4/L5 level. Although grade V disk degeneration was not identified for males in the 20s and the 30s, it appeared after the 40s and then increased further with age. The intervertebral disk height at the lower lumbar disks decreased with a progression in the disk degeneration grade in both genders. Conclusions: This large-scale cross-sectional analysis of the thoracolumbar spine in relatively healthy subjects demonstrated that lumbar disk height narrowing progresses with age and is correlated with the progression of disk degeneration.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ssrr/6/4/6_2021-0187/_pdf/-char/enthoracolumbar spineintervertebral disk heightdisk degenerationhealthy subjectsage-related and gender differences |
| spellingShingle | Masaaki Machino Hiroaki Nakashima Keigo Ito Mikito Tsushima Kei Ando Kazuyoshi Kobayashi Shiro Imagama Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine Spine Surgery and Related Research thoracolumbar spine intervertebral disk height disk degeneration healthy subjects age-related and gender differences |
| title | Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine |
| title_full | Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine |
| title_short | Influence of Age and Gender on Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Height in the Thoracolumbar Spine |
| title_sort | influence of age and gender on intervertebral disk degeneration and height in the thoracolumbar spine |
| topic | thoracolumbar spine intervertebral disk height disk degeneration healthy subjects age-related and gender differences |
| url | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ssrr/6/4/6_2021-0187/_pdf/-char/en |
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