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Lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration in athletes
Mika Hangai1, Koji Kaneoka, Shiro Hinotsu
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. seikei@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|September 19, 2008
Summary
Competitive baseball and swimming are linked to lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration in athletes. Severe low back pain may also predict degeneration, highlighting the need for preventive strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sports medicine
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
Background:
- Physical loading from competitive sports is linked to lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration.
- The specific association between sport type and disk degeneration remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if different competitive sports are associated with varying frequencies of lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration.
- To explore the relationship between low back pain and disk degeneration in athletes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 308 university athletes across various sports and 71 non-athlete controls.
- Lumbar disk degeneration assessed via T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.
- Self-reported questionnaires on low back pain history and severity were administered.
Main Results:
- Baseball players (OR, 3.23) and swimmers (OR, 2.95) showed significantly higher proportions of disk degeneration compared to non-athletes.
- A significant association was found between lifetime low back pain experience and disk degeneration.
- A linear association existed between the severity of low back pain and disk degeneration.
Conclusions:
- Continuous competitive baseball and swimming participation in youth may contribute to lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration.
- Severe low back pain experience appears to be a predictor of disk degeneration in young individuals.
- Further research is recommended to develop preventive measures and management strategies for athletes.
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