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Prevalence of spinal disc disease among interventional cardiologists

A M Ross1, J Segal, D Borenstein

  • 1Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20037, USA.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|January 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Interventional cardiologists experience higher rates of neck and back pain, and disc disease, potentially due to lead apron use. This study confirms "interventionalist

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Cardiology
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • A potential link between lead apron use in interventional cardiology and axial skeletal disease was suspected but not documented.
  • Previous studies have not sufficiently investigated the prevalence of spinal conditions in this high-risk medical group.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the suspected excess of axial skeletal disease among interventional cardiologists.
  • To compare the incidence of spinal conditions in interventional cardiologists with orthopedic surgeons and rheumatologists.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire-based study was conducted involving 714 cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and rheumatologists.
  • Responses were analyzed to compare reported symptoms, diagnoses, and work-related outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Interventional cardiologists reported significantly higher rates of neck and back pain (p < 0.01).
  • They also experienced more time lost from work and a higher incidence of cervical disc herniations and multi-level disc disease (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms a distinct entity of spinal disease among interventional cardiologists, termed "interventionalist's disc disease".
  • Lead apron use during fluoroscopic procedures is a likely contributing factor to these occupational spinal conditions.

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