RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: At present, much is unknown about the etiology and pathogenesis of ULDH. However, it is interesting to note that many ULDH patients have a radiographic feature of adjacent vertebral wedge deformation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between symptomatic upper lumbar disc herniation (ULDH) and wedge-shaped vertebrae (WSV). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 65 patients with single-level ULDH, who had undergone surgery at our medical center between January 2012 and December 2016. Clinical data including clinical and radiological evaluation results were performed. RESULTS: The incidence of WSV in the ULDH group (44.6%, 29/65) was more than in the lower lumbar disc herniation group (21.5%, 14/65). And there were statistically significant differences in WSV (χ2 = 7.819, P = 0.005), wedging angle of the vertebrae (WAV) (t = 9.013, P < 0.001), and thoracolumbar kyphotic angle (TL) (t = 8.618, P < 0.001) between two groups. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, WAV (OR = 0.783, 95% CI = 0.687-0.893, P < 0.001) and TL (OR = 0.831, 95% CI = 0.746-0.925, P = 0.001) were independently associated with ULDH. The cutoff values of WAV and TL were 5.35° and 8.35°, which were significantly associated with ULDH (OR = 3.667, 95% CI = 1.588-8.466, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The WSV is an independent risk factor for ULDH. WAV > 5.35° and TL > 8.35° were the predictors for ULDH. It should be noted that the patients with vertebral wedge deformation combined with thoracolumbar kyphosis have a higher risk of ULDH.

Asunto(s)

Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Desplazamiento del Disco Intervertebral/diagnóstico por imagen , Vértebras Lumbares/anomalías , Vértebras Lumbares/diagnóstico por imagen , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Degeneración del Disco Intervertebral/cirugía , Desplazamiento del Disco Intervertebral/cirugía , Vértebras Lumbares/cirugía , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de Riesgo

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Upper lumbar disc herniation (ULDH) is easy to be misdiagnosed due to its special anatomical and atypical clinical features. Few studies have identified the relationship between ULDH and adjacent wedge-shaped vertebrae (WSV). HYPOTHESIS: WSV may have some indicative relations withULDH. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2003 and October 2013, 47 patients (27 males and 20 females; mean age, 41.2 years) with single-level ULDH (as study group) and 47 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers (as control group) were studied by radiograph. The two groups were compared with respect to age, sexual proportion, body mass index (BMI), kyphotic angle, and the proportion of WSV. Also, correlative analyses were conducted in the study group to investigate the relation between the kyphotic angle of target vertebrae and other factors including age, BMI, Cobb angle, JOA score and bone mineral density (BMD). RESULTS: The average kyphotic angle in the study group was 11° (4°-22°), while the average kyphotic angle in the control group was 2° (0°-7°). Obviously, the mean kyphotic angle in the study group was statistically larger than that in the control group (t=13.797, P<0.001). The proportion of WSV in the study group was significantly larger than that in the control group (x(2)=36.380, P<0.0001). The correlations between kyphotic angles and other items (i.e., age, BMI, BMD, Cobb angle and JOA score) in the study group and the control group were low or uncorrelated. CONCLUSIONS: WSV are indicatively associated with adjacent ULDH. Thus, ULDH should be alerted when WSV are first found in radiograph and accompanied by clinical symptoms.