Operated lumbar disc herniation: epidemiological aspects.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Epidemiology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Lumbar disc herniation is a common condition requiring surgical intervention.
• Understanding surgical trends and patient demographics is crucial for healthcare planning.
• Previous studies have explored surgical rates, but regional variations and specific timeframes require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and characteristics of lumbar disc herniation surgeries in South-West Finland between 1975 and 1979.
• To analyze the rates of first-time operations versus reoperations.
• To investigate potential correlations between surgery rates and demographic factors or occupational exposures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of surgical records for lumbar disc herniation.
• Inclusion of data from the Turku University Central Hospital catchment area.
• Calculation of incidence rates per 10(5) population and analysis of patient demographics (age, sex).

Main Results:

• A total of 1011 lumbar disc herniation operations were performed, with 907 first operations and 104 reoperations.
• The incidence of first lumbar disc herniation surgery in the Turku University Central Hospital area ranged from 31 to 36 per 10(5) persons annually.
• The majority of patients (nearly 90%) were aged 25-54, with no significant association found between surgery and occupational factors or monthly variations.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of lumbar disc herniation surgery in the studied region was relatively stable during the late 1970s.
• Reoperations constituted a small but notable percentage (9.1%) of all surgeries.
• The findings suggest that factors beyond occupational type may influence the need for lumbar disc herniation surgery.