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End plate disproportion and degenerative disc disease: a case-control study
Masoud Poureisa1, Mohammad Hossein Daghighi1, Sepideh Mesbahi1
1Department of Radiology and Neuroscience Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Asian Spine Journal
|September 5, 2014
Summary
End plate disproportion may be a significant, BMI-dependent risk factor for lumbar degenerative disc disease. This finding suggests that vertebral end plate morphology is important in assessing risk for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
- Spine Surgery
Background:
- Vertebral end plate disproportion has been linked to an increased risk of disc herniation.
- Understanding the relationship between end plate morphology and degenerative disc disease is crucial for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between disproportion of neighboring vertebral end plates and the presence of degenerative disc disease.
- To determine if end plate disproportion is a risk factor for lumbar degenerative disc disease.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 160 patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (grades I-II) and 160 controls with normal lumbar MR images.
- Measurement of the anteroposterior diameter difference between adjacent vertebral end plates (difference of end plates [DEP]) on midsagittal MR images.
- Comparison of DEP between cases and controls at multiple lumbar levels (L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1).
Main Results:
- A significantly higher mean DEP was observed at the L5-S1 level in the degenerative disc disease group (2.73±0.23 mm) compared to the control group (2.21±0.12 mm, p=0.03).
- No statistically significant differences in DEP were found at L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, or L4-L5 levels.
- The significant difference in DEP at L5-S1 was not maintained after adjusting for body mass index (BMI), which was higher in the patient group.
Conclusions:
- End plate disproportion, particularly at the L5-S1 level, may be a significant risk factor for lumbar degenerative disc disease.
- The association between end plate disproportion and degenerative disc disease appears to be dependent on body mass index (BMI).
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of end plate morphology and BMI in the pathogenesis of degenerative disc disease.
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