TY - JOUR
T1 - 1995 volvo award in clinical sciences determinants of lumbar disc degeneration -a study relating lifetime exposures and magnetic resonance imaging findings in identical twins
AU - Battie, M. C.
AU - Videman, T.
AU - Gibbons, L. E.
AU - Fisher, L. D.
AU - Manninen, H.
AU - Gill, K.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1995/12
Y1 - 1995/12
N2 - Study Design Retrospective cohort. Objectives To investigate the effects of lifetime exposure to commonly suspected risk factors on disc degeneration using magnetic resonance imaging, and to estimate the effects of these suspected risk factors relative to age and familial aggregation, reflecting genetic and shared environmental influences. Summary of Background Data Structural and biochemical changes associated with disc degeneration are suspected as the underlying conditions of many back-related symptoms. Little is known about the determinants of disc degeneration. Methods Based on lifetime discordance in suspected environmental risk factors for disc degeneration, 115 male identical twin pairs were selected. An indepth interview was conducted of occupational and leisure time physical loading, driving, and smoking. Disc degeneration was evaluated using observational and digital magnetic resonance imaging assessment methods. Results Heavier lifetime occupational and leisure physical loading was associated with greater disc degeneration in the upper lumbar levels (P = 0.055-0.001), whereas sedentary work was associated with lesser degeneration (P = 0.006). These univariate associations did not reasch statistical significance in the lower lumbar region. In multivariate analyses of the upper lumbar levels, the mean job code explained 7% of the variability in observational disc degeneration scores; the addition of age explained 16%, and familial aggregation improved the model such that 77% of the variability was explained. In the lower lumbar levels, leisure time physical loading entered the multivariate model, explaining 2% of the variability. Adding age explained 9%, and familial aggregation raised the variability in disc degeneration scores explained to 43%. Conclusion The present study findings suggest that disc degeneration may be explained primarily by genetic influences and by unidentified factors, which may include complex, unpredictable interactions. The particular environmental factors studied, which have been among those most widely suspected of accelerating disc degeneration, had very modest effects.
AB - Study Design Retrospective cohort. Objectives To investigate the effects of lifetime exposure to commonly suspected risk factors on disc degeneration using magnetic resonance imaging, and to estimate the effects of these suspected risk factors relative to age and familial aggregation, reflecting genetic and shared environmental influences. Summary of Background Data Structural and biochemical changes associated with disc degeneration are suspected as the underlying conditions of many back-related symptoms. Little is known about the determinants of disc degeneration. Methods Based on lifetime discordance in suspected environmental risk factors for disc degeneration, 115 male identical twin pairs were selected. An indepth interview was conducted of occupational and leisure time physical loading, driving, and smoking. Disc degeneration was evaluated using observational and digital magnetic resonance imaging assessment methods. Results Heavier lifetime occupational and leisure physical loading was associated with greater disc degeneration in the upper lumbar levels (P = 0.055-0.001), whereas sedentary work was associated with lesser degeneration (P = 0.006). These univariate associations did not reasch statistical significance in the lower lumbar region. In multivariate analyses of the upper lumbar levels, the mean job code explained 7% of the variability in observational disc degeneration scores; the addition of age explained 16%, and familial aggregation improved the model such that 77% of the variability was explained. In the lower lumbar levels, leisure time physical loading entered the multivariate model, explaining 2% of the variability. Adding age explained 9%, and familial aggregation raised the variability in disc degeneration scores explained to 43%. Conclusion The present study findings suggest that disc degeneration may be explained primarily by genetic influences and by unidentified factors, which may include complex, unpredictable interactions. The particular environmental factors studied, which have been among those most widely suspected of accelerating disc degeneration, had very modest effects.
KW - Disc degeneration
KW - Familial aggregation
KW - Intervertebral disc
KW - Lumbosacral region
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Occupational exposure
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U2 - 10.1097/00007632-199512150-00001
DO - 10.1097/00007632-199512150-00001
M3 - Article
C2 - 8747238
AN - SCOPUS:0029619379
SN - 0362-2436
VL - 20
SP - 2601
EP - 2612
JO - Spine
JF - Spine
IS - 24
ER -