Risk factors in cervical spondylosis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cervical spondylosis is a common degenerative spinal disorder affecting individuals over 40.
• Radiological evidence of cervical spondylosis often shows poor correlation with clinical symptoms.
• Discrepancies may be linked to patient demographics and vertebral morphometrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between demographic factors (age, sex, race, occupation) and morphometric vertebral dimensions (canal diameter, vertebral body diameter, canal-body ratio) with cervical spondylosis.
• To compare these variables between patients with cervical spondylosis and a healthy control population.

Main Methods:

• A hospital-based, case-control, cross-sectional clinico-radiological study involving 200 participants (100 cases, 100 controls).
• Lateral cervical spine radiographs were analyzed for mid-sagittal canal diameter (CD), sagittal vertebral body diameter (VBD), and canal-body ratio (CBR).
• Statistical analysis was performed to correlate demographic and morphometric data with clinical presentation.

Main Results:

• No significant relationship was found between vertebral dimensions and clinical groups.
• In the radiculopathy group, age and height were significant on univariate analysis, with only age remaining significant on multivariate analysis.
• For the neck pain group, age, sex, and height were significant on univariate analysis, while age, sex, and occupation emerged as significant risk factors in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions:

• Vertebral morphometric dimensions do not appear to be strongly associated with the presence or severity of cervical spondylosis symptoms.
• Age, sex, and occupation are identified as significant risk factors contributing to neck pain in the context of cervical spondylosis.
• Further research may explore other factors influencing the discrepancy between radiological findings and clinical symptoms in cervical spondylosis.