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Tandem age-related lumbar and cervical intervertebral disc changes in asymptomatic subjects

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the frequency of tandem lumbar and cervical intervertebral disc degeneration in asymptomatic subjects.

Methods

We evaluated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results from 94 volunteers (48 men and 46 women; mean age 48 years) for age-related intervertebral disc degeneration in the lumbar and cervical spine.

Results

MRI indicated degenerative changes in the lumbar spine in 79 subjects (84 %), with decreased disc signal intensity in 74.5 %, posterior disc protrusion in 78.7 %, anterior compression of the dura in 81.9 %, disc space narrowing in 21.3 %, and spinal canal stenosis in 12.8 %. These findings were more common in older subjects at caudal levels. MRI showed degenerative changes in both the lumbar and cervical spine in 78.7 % of the volunteers.

Conclusions

Degenerative findings in both the lumbar and cervical spine, suggesting tandem disc degeneration, was common in asymptomatic subjects. These results provide normative data for evaluating patients with degenerative lumbar and cervical disc diseases.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the General Insurance Association of Japan. We express our cordial thanks to Mr. Toshio Watanabe at the Central Radiotechnology Department of Keio University Hospital, for his cooperation with this study.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University, Shinanomachi 35, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Morio Matsumoto, Eijiro Okada & Yoshiaki Toyama

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

    Hirokazu Fujiwara & Suketaka Momoshima

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Isehara Kyodo Hospital, Isehara, Japan

    Takeshi Takahata

Authors
  1. Morio Matsumoto
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  2. Eijiro Okada
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  3. Yoshiaki Toyama
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  4. Hirokazu Fujiwara
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  5. Suketaka Momoshima
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  6. Takeshi Takahata
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Morio Matsumoto.

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Matsumoto, M., Okada, E., Toyama, Y. et al. Tandem age-related lumbar and cervical intervertebral disc changes in asymptomatic subjects. Eur Spine J 22, 708–713 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2500-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-012-2500-z

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