title: Age-Related Incidence of Cervical Spondylosis in Residents of Jeju Island.
abstract: METHODS
  Cervical spine radiograms of 460 Jeju islanders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the age-matched incidences and severity of the cervical disc degeneration and associated pathologic findings.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Several related studies on the incidences of disc and Luschka's and facet joint degeneration have provided some basic data for clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical radiographs of 460 (220 males and 240 females) patients in their fourth to ninth decade were analyzed. Ninety patients in their third decade were excluded because of absence of spondylotic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall incidence of cervical spondylosis was 47.8% (220 of 460 patients). The percentile incidences of spondylosis in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth decade was 13.2% (10 of 76 patients), 34.6% (37 of 107 patients), 58.9% (66 of 112 patients), 58.8% (50 of 85 patients), 70.3% (45 of 64 patients) and 75.0% (12 of 16 patients), respectively. The percentile incidences of one, two, three, four and five level spondylosis among 220 spondylosis patients was 45.5% (n=100), 34.1% (n=75), 15.0% (n=33), 4.5% (n=10), and 0.9% (n=2). Severity of disc degeneration ranged from ± to ++++, and was ± in 6.0% (24 segments), + in 49.6% (198 segments), ++ in 35.3% (141 segments), +++ in 9.0% (36 segments) and ++++ in 0.25% (one segment). Spurs and anterior ligament ossicle formed at the spondylotic segments, mostly at C4~6. The rate of posterior corporal spurs formation was very low. Olisthesis and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were rarely combined with spondylosis. Cervical lordotic curve decreased gradually according to the progress of severity of spondylosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of cervical spondylosis and number of spondylotic segments increase, and degeneration gradually becomes more severe with age.
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
authors: Myung-Sang
authors: MS
authors: Moon
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
authors: Min-Geun
authors: MG
authors: Yoon
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
authors: Bong-Keun
authors: BK
authors: Park
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju, Korea.
authors: Min-Suk
authors: MS
authors: Park
keywords: Cervical; Incidences; Severity; Spondylosis; Spurs