A CROSS-SECTIONAL PREVALENCE STUDY OF DISCDEGENERATION IN A RURAL POPULATION AND ITS RELATIONWITH AGE, BODY MASS INDEX AND BACK PAIN

Abstract

The prevalence of degenerative discs (DD) in 59 male; 41 female patients belong to rural population of Anand district
having mean age of 48.29 years; mean BMI (Body Mass Index) 22.196 kg/ m2 associated with pain, radiculopathies and
neurological deficit presenting to the various in & out patient departments of Shree Krishna Hospital & Pramukh Swami
Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed with a sagittal T2 image of the lumbar
spine using closed type Superconductive 1.5 Tesla Magnetom Symphony Maestro (Manufactured by Siemens AG,
Erlangen Company). Patients with sedentary life style had maximum number of degenerative disc pathologies; while had
ambulatory life style had maximum percentage of infective/inflammatory disc pathologies. 98.3 % male patients had
degenerative lesions while 92.5 % of female patient had degenerative changes. Age group 61-70 years to be maximum
involved. In the lumbar region maximum changes were seen at L5-S1 level (25.7 %); cervical region at C5-C6 level (12.2
%) and at thoracic region at D12-L1 level (24.2 %). B.M.I. group II (18-25 kg/m2) to have maximum number of disco genic
pathologies. All Congenital / developmental disc anomalies cases were associated with degenerative disc. It can be
concluded that MRI is a highly sensitive imaging modality, which closely reflects histological changes. Grade III changes
are mostly present in sedentary life style patient with high Body Mass Index