title: Degenerative change in the cervical spine and load-carrying on the head.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between load-carrying on the head and the development of degenerative change in the cervical spine.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was performed with 35 individuals who had carried loads on their head (carriers) and 35 persons who never had carrier loads on their head (non-carriers). A scoring system was utilized for the assessment of the degenerative change in the cervical spine at the C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/C7 levels on lateral cervical spine radiography. A total score was calculated by summing the scores for the single segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In 31 of the 35 (88.6%) carriers degenerative change was found in the cervical spine, but only in 8 of the 35 (22.9%) non-carriers (P < 0.01). The total score and the scores for segments C4/5, C5/C6 anc C6/C7 were significantly higher for the carriers than the non-carriers. It is concluded that the axial strain of load-carrying on the head exacerbates degenerative change in the cervical spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City Hospital Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gordon-Harris
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Mehring
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Mathias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D012807:Sierra Leone; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical