Back pain and radiological changes in the thoraco-lumbar spine of athletes. A long-term follow-up.
From 1996 to 1999, back pain and radiological changes in the thoraco-lumbar spine were investigated in 134 former top athletes, representing wrestling, gymnastics, soccer and tennis (age 27-39 years) and a group of 28 non-athletes of comparable age. This is a long-term follow-up investigation of a previous radiological study of the spine with clinical correlation. Despite significantly more radiological abnormalities among the athletes, they did not report higher frequency of back pain than the non-athletes. A decrease in disc height or new disc height reduction in one or more of the intervertebral discs between the two examinations correlated significantly with back pain at follow-up.
Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, Sweden.
O
O
Lundin
M
M
Hellström
I
I
Nilsson
L
L
Swärd
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013997:Time Factors