title: Familial predisposition for herniation of a lumbar disc in patients who are less than twenty-one years old.
abstract: The parents of sixty-three patients who were less than twenty-one years old and who had operatively confirmed herniation of a lumbar disc were interviewed regarding a history of sever back pain, sciatica, and herniated disc, to determine whether aggregation of herniation of a lumbar disc occurs in families of patients in this young age-group. The parents of sixty-three additional patients who had a non-spinal orthopaedic diagnosis (control group) were matched for age and sex with the study group and were given the same interview. Of the patients who had herniation of a lumbar disc and were less than twenty-one years old, 32 per cent had a positive family history for that lesion compared with 7 per cent of the control group. The relative risk of development of herniation of a lumbar disc before the age of twenty-one years is estimated to be approximately five times greater in patients who have a positive family history. The results indicate a familial basis for herniation of a lumbar disc in patients who are less than twenty-one years old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Varlotta
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kelsey
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Golden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000235:genetics*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010290:Parents; D010375:Pedigree