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Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Spinal Disorders

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Spinal Disorders

Abstract

Epidemiology is research on the frequency and causes of diseases or syndromes in different populations. The baseline idea of epidemiology is that disease and causal factors are not distributed at random in human populations. Individuals who develop a disease are expected to be exposed to antecedent risk factors to a greater degree or for a longer time than are individuals who stay healthy. It is important to bear in mind that epidemiology estimates the association between risk factors and diseases in statistical terms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychologisches Institut, Universität Bern, Muesmattstr. 43, 3000, Bern 9, Schweiz

    Achim Elfering

  2. Wirbelsäulenzentrum, Schulthessklinik, Lengghalde 2, 808, Zürich, Schweiz

    Anne F. Mannion

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  1. Achim Elfering
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  1. Zentrum für Wirbelsäulen- und Rückenmarkchirurgie, Universität Zürich Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Forchstraße 340, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland

    Norbert Boos

  2. Institut für Evaluative Forschung in Orthopädischer Chirurgie MEM Forschungszentrum, Universität Bern, Stauffacherstraße 78, 3014, Bern, Switzerland

    Max Aebi

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Elfering, A., Mannion, A.F. (2008). Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Spinal Disorders. In: Boos, N., Aebi, M. (eds) Spinal Disorders. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69091-7_6

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