Scheuermann's Disease as a Risk Factor for Lumbar Disc Herniation Recurrence

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedics
• Spinal Surgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Recurrent lumbar disc herniation (rLDH) poses a significant clinical challenge.
• Identifying pre-operative risk factors for rLDH is crucial for patient management.
• Scheuermann's disease (SD) is a spinal condition that may influence disc degeneration and herniation recurrence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether Scheuermann's disease (SD) is an independent risk factor for recurrent lumbar disc herniation (rLDH).
• To identify demographic and radiological factors associated with rLDH.
• To compare patients with and without disc herniation recurrence.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study involving 602 patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH).
• Patients were divided into LDH and rLDH groups based on one-year follow-up.
• Demographic data (age, BMI, smoking) and radiological findings (including SD presence) were analyzed using t-tests, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in age, BMI, current smoking status, and the presence of SD between the rLDH and LDH groups.
• Logistic regression analysis identified age, current smoking, and Scheuermann's disease as independent risk factors for rLDH.

Conclusions:

• Age, current smoking, and Scheuermann's disease are confirmed risk factors for recurrent lumbar disc herniation.
• Patients with SD and older age are advised to cease smoking to mitigate the risk of rLDH.
• This study highlights the importance of considering SD in the pre-operative assessment for LDH.