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Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain: an association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Introduction

The objective of this study was to assess the association between severe disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP).

Methods

A case–control study was conducted with 304 subjects, aged 35–50, recruited in routine clinical practice across six hospitals; 240 cases (chronic LBP patients with a median pain duration of 46 months) and 64 controls (asymptomatic subjects without any lifetime history of significant LBP). The following variables were assessed once, using previously validated methods: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking exposure, degree of physical activity, severity of LBP, disability, and findings on magnetic resonance (MRI) (disc degeneration, Modic changes (MC), disc protrusion/hernia, annular tears, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis). Radiologists who interpreted MRI were blinded to the subjects' characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the association between severe DD and chronic LBP, adjusting for gender, age, BMI, physical activity, MC, disc protrusion/hernia, and spinal stenosis.

Results

Severe DD at ≥1 level was found in 46.9 % of the controls and 65.8 % of the cases. Crude odds ratio (95 % CI), for suffering chronic LBP when having severe DD, was 2.06 (1.05; 4.06). After adjusting for “MC” and “disc protrusion/hernia,” it was 1.81 (0.81; 4.05).

Conclusions

The association between severe DD and LBP ceases to be significant when adjusted for MC and disc protrusion/hernia. These results do not support that DD as a major cause of chronic LBP.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

DD:

Disc degeneration

LBP:

Low back pain

P25:

25th percentile

P75:

75th percentile

RMQ:

Roland–Morris Questionnaire

VAS:

Visual analog scale

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by The Kovacs Foundation, a not-for-profit institution specializing in back pain research, with no links to the health industry. The Kovacs Foundation was not involved in the design and conduction of the study, data collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data, preparation, review and approval of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento Científico, Fundación Kovacs, Paseo de Mallorca 36, 07012, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Francisco M. Kovacs

  2. Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Fundación Kovacs, Paseo de Mallorca 36, 07012, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Francisco M. Kovacs, Estanislao Arana, Ana Estremera, Guillermo Amengual, Beatriz Asenjo, Helena Sarasíbar, Isabel Galarraga, Ana Alonso, Carlos Casillas & Carmen Martínez

  3. Servicio de Radiología, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Prof Beltrán Báguena, 19, 46009, Valencia, Spain

    Estanislao Arana

  4. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain

    Ana Royuela, Alfonso Muriel & Víctor Abraira

  5. Unidad de Bioestadística Clínica, IRYCIS, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Ctra. Colmenar Km. 9.1, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Royuela, Alfonso Muriel & Víctor Abraira

  6. Hospital Son Llàtzer, Ctra. De Manacor, Km. 4, 07198, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Ana Estremera, Guillermo Amengual, Helena Sarasíbar & Carmen Martínez

  7. Hospital Carlos Haya, Avda Carlos Haya s/n, 29011, Málaga, Spain

    Beatriz Asenjo

  8. Hospital de Manacor, Ctra. De Manacor s/n, 07500, Manacor, Mallorca, Spain

    Isabel Galarraga

  9. Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Alonso

  10. Instituto de Traumatología Unión de Mutuas, Av. del Lledó, 67, 12004, Castellón, Spain

    Carlos Casillas

Authors
  1. Francisco M. Kovacs
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  2. Estanislao Arana
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  3. Ana Royuela
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  4. Ana Estremera
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  8. Isabel Galarraga
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  10. Carlos Casillas
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  11. Alfonso Muriel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Estanislao Arana.

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Kovacs, F.M., Arana, E., Royuela, A. et al. Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain: an association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account. Neuroradiology 56, 25–33 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-013-1294-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-013-1294-y

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