Association of abdominal obesity with lumbar disc degeneration--a magnetic resonance imaging study

Jani Takatalo, Jaro Karppinen, Simo Taimela, Jaakko Niinimäki, Jaana Laitinen, Roberto Blanco Sequeiros, Dino Samartzis, Raija Korpelainen, Simo Näyhä, Jouko Remes, Osmo Tervonen, Jani Takatalo, Jaro Karppinen, Simo Taimela, Jaakko Niinimäki, Jaana Laitinen, Roberto Blanco Sequeiros, Dino Samartzis, Raija Korpelainen, Simo Näyhä, Jouko Remes, Osmo Tervonen

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate whether midsagittal (abdominal) obesity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage are associated with lumbar disc degeneration in early adulthood.

Methods: We obtained the lumbar MRI (1.5-T scanner) of 325 females and 233 males at a mean age of 21 years. Lumbar disc degeneration was evaluated using Pfirrmann classification. We analysed the associations of MRI measures of obesity (abdominal diameter (AD), sagittal diameter (SAD), ventral subcutaneous thickness (VST), and dorsal subcutaneous thickness (DST)), WC and body fat percentage with disc degeneration sum scores using ordinal logistic regression.

Results: A total of 155 (48%) females and 147 (63%) males had disc degeneration. AD and SAD were associated with a disc degeneration sum score of ≥3 compared to disc degeneration sum score of 0-2 (OR 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.33 and OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.12-1.75, respectively) among males, but we found no association among females. WC was also associated with disc degeneration among males (OR 1.03 per one cm; 95% CI 1.00-1.05), but not among females.

Conclusion: Measures of abdominal obesity in MRI and waist circumference were associated with disc degeneration among 21-year-old males.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1. Flow-chart of study population.
Figure 1. Flow-chart of study population.
The Study population consisted of the members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986) in the two northernmost provinces of Finland (n = 9479) who lived within 100 km of the city of Oulu in 2003 (n = 2969). Those who participated in the physical examination at 19 years of age were invited to lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which was performed between November 2005 and February 2008 at a mean participant age of 21 years. LBP = low back pain.
Figure 2. Midsagittal image of lumbar spine…
Figure 2. Midsagittal image of lumbar spine showing level of measurement: abdominal diameter (AD), sagittal diameter (SAD), ventral subcutaneous thickness (VST), and dorsal subcutaneous thickness (DST).
AA, SAD, and VST are not at the same level in the image as that measured in the study, due to technical reasons.

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