title: The increased prevalence of cervical spondylosis in patients with adult thoracolumbar spinal deformity.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the concomitance of cervical spondylosis and thoracolumbar spinal deformity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Patients with degenerative cervical spine disease have higher rates of degeneration in the lumbar spine. In addition, degenerative cervical spine changes have been observed in adult patients with thoracolumbar spinal deformities. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies quantifying the association between cervical spondylosis and thoracolumbar spinal deformity in adult patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients seen by a spine surgeon or spine specialist at a single institution were assessed for cervical spondylosis and/or thoracolumbar spinal deformity using an administrative claims database. Spinal radiographic utilization and surgical intervention were used to infer severity of spinal disease. The relative prevalence of each spinal diagnosis was assessed in patients with and without the other diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 47,560 patients were included in this study. Cervical spondylosis occurred in 13.1% overall, but was found in 31.0% of patients with thoracolumbar spinal deformity (OR=3.27, P<0.0001). Similarly, thoracolumbar spinal deformity was found in 10.7% of patients overall, but was increased at 23.5% in patients with cervical spondylosis (OR=3.26, P<0.0001). In addition, increasing severity of disease was associated with an increased likelihood of the other spinal diagnosis. Patients with both diagnoses were more likely to undergo both cervical (OR=3.23, P<0.0001) and thoracolumbar (OR=4.14, P<0.0001) spine fusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with cervical spondylosis or thoracolumbar spinal deformity had significantly higher rates of the other spinal diagnosis. This correlation was increased with increased severity of disease. Patients with both diagnoses were significantly more likely to have received a spine fusion. Further research is warranted to establish the cause of this correlation. Clinicians should use this information to both screen and counsel patients who present for cervical spondylosis or thoracolumbar spinal deformity.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Orthopaedic Surgery †Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco ‡Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA.
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Schairer
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Serena S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000002:abnormalities*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000002:abnormalities*