Causes of Adolescent Low Back Pain: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pediatric Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Adolescent low back pain (LBP) is a growing concern with multifactorial etiology.
• Understanding the specific causes and demographic variations in LBP is crucial for effective management.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the spectrum of LBP causes in adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the etiologies of low back pain (LBP) in adolescents aged 10-19.
• To identify the most common diagnoses associated with LBP in this age group.
• To analyze gender-based differences in the prevalence of specific LBP pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 1932 patients aged 10-19 with LBP.
• Exclusion of patients with trauma requiring emergent surgery or alternative diagnoses.
• Classification of diagnoses using International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision (ICD-10) and clinical verification.

Main Results:

• The most common diagnosis was non-specific LBP (42.81%), followed by disk disease (27.64%) and spondylolysis (14.54%).
• Women had a higher incidence of non-specific LBP and disk disease.
• Men showed a higher prevalence of spondylolysis.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a clearer understanding of adolescent LBP etiologies.
• Disk-related issues are more prevalent than previously reported in this age group.
• Significant gender-based differences exist in the distribution of specific LBP diagnoses among adolescents.