title: The significance of low back pain in older adults.
abstract: A retrospective study of the practice of an orthopedic surgeon at a university teaching hospital was done to evaluate the significance of low back pain in older adults. All 259 patients in a 3-year period 50 years of age and over whose presenting complaint was low back pain or sciatica or both were identified and classified by final diagnosis. A comparison was similarly identified and classified. Systemic disease, particularly cancer, was much more prevalent in the older group. It was demonstrated that a simple screening routine consisting of measuring the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and calcium would identify all cases of unsuspected malignant disease--that is, at least one of the values would be abnormal in every case.
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012585:Sciatica / Q000175:diagnosis; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium