Is age more than manual material handling associated with lumbar vertebral body and disc changes? A cross-sectional multicentre MRI study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Conflicting evidence exists to what extent manual material handling (MMH) causes lumbar disc disease, lack of evidence exist that this effect takes place especially at L5-S1 level, where the greatest moment occurs. The aim was to assess if lumbar vertebral body and disc changes are more common in people whose job involves significant MMH and, if so, to evaluate if lumbar vertebral body and disc changes are more prevalent in the lower part of the lumbar spine (L4-L5 and L5-S1).

Design

Observational, cross-sectional, with quasi-random recruitment.

Setting

Outpatient radiology units of three large hospitals in northern (Bologna and Brescia) and southern (Bari) Italy.

Participants

183 consecutive adult subjects (89 males, 94 females) aged 20-70 years refe

SUBMITTER: Violante FS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6756319 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature