Prevalence of osteoarthritis, osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and spondylolisthesis among the elderly in a Japanese village.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of osteoarthritis, osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and spondylolisthesis among elderly residents of a Japanese village and to examine the correlation between radiographic evidence of abnormality and lower back pain.


METHODS
205 men (mean age, 70.7 years) and 323 women (mean age, 70.5 years) in a Japanese village participated in this cross-sectional study. Plain lateral radiographs were taken from the lower thoracic spine to the sacral spine. They were evaluated by 3 independent orthopaedic surgeons for degree of osteoarthritis (using Weiner grading system) and the presence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and spondylolisthesis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of osteoarthritis in elderly Japanese villagers was 38.3%, whereas that of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and spondylolisthesis was 17.8% and 8.9%, respectively. There was no significant difference in osteoarthritis between men and women, but osteoporotic vertebral fractures and spondylolisthesis were significantly more common in females (p<0.01). No significant correlation was observed between lower back pain and radiographic evidence of degenerative spinal disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of spondylolisthesis in elderly Japanese was much lower than that in whites or African Americans. The prevalence of osteoarthritis or osteoporotic vertebral fractures was comparable with other English or US studies. Radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis, osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and spondylolisthesis is not necessarily associated with lower back pain.
Horikawa
K
K
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
Kasai
Y
Y
Yamakawa
T
T
Sudo
A
A
Uchida
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012423:Rural Health; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging