Prevalence of spine degeneration diagnosis by type, age, gender, and obesity using Medicare data.

ABSTRACT: Identifying the prevalence of degenerative spinal pathologies and relevant demographic risk factors is important for understanding spine injury risk, prevention, treatment, and outcome, and for distinguishing acute injuries from degenerative pathologies. Prevalence data in the literature are often based on small-scale studies focused on a single type of pathology. This study evaluates the prevalence of diagnosis of selected degenerative spinal pathology diagnoses using Medicare insurance claim data in the context of published smaller-scale studies. In addition, the data are used to evaluate whether the prevalence is affected by age, sex, diagnosed obesity, and the use of medical imaging. The Medicare Claims 5% Limited Data Set was queried to identify diagnoses of degenerative spinal pathol

SUBMITTER: Parenteau CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7940625 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature