Lumbar disc degeneration in Thai elderly: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
Determine the prevalence and related factors of lumbar disc degeneration in the Thai elderly.


METHODS
A population-based study was done at Rom Klao community, Bangkok. Seven hundred and ninety-two cases (306 males, and 486 females) out of 1166 elderly people aged > or =50 (mean age of 61.07 +/- 7.8 years) were assessed. The lateral spinal radiographs were interpreted as spondylosis grade 0-3 according to the degree of severity.


RESULTS
Males had more prevalence of grade 2-3 spondylosis than females (58.8% vs. 52.9%), but females had higher prevalence of spinal listhesis (14.4% vs. 8.8%). Age was a strong predicting factor for disc degeneration (OR = 1.088, 95% CI = 1.065-1.111, p = 0.000). Females had more risk to develop spinal listhesis (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.11-3.05, p = 0.020) and low back pain (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.29-2.56, p = 0.001). BMI was a predicting factor for spondylosis (OR = 1.066, 95% CI = 1.02-1.10, p = 0.000). About 27% of the cases reported moderate-severe low back pain and had lower Barthel ADL index (p = 0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
Lumbar disc degeneration and low back pain were highly prevalent among the Thai elderly. Therefore, they need proper health care for disability prevention.
Chaiwanichsiri
Dootchai
D
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. dootchai@hotmail.com
Jiamworakul
Araya
A
Jitapunkul
Sutthichai
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology