OBJECTIVETo study lumbar vertebral degenerations of coal miners with low back pain.

METHODS40 underground miners with low back pain, aged from 30 to 50 years and employed for a length from 10 to 30 years, were taken as observation group. 30 ground workers without low back pain but with almost the same age, employment length and height etc. were selected as control group. Intervertebral discs at L3/L4, L4/L5, L5/S1 were scanned with computerized tomography, comparing herniated discs, sagittal diameter of vertebral canal, height of lateral recess, vertebral hypertostosis, ligament hypertrophy and calcification between two groups.

RESULTSL3/L4, L4/L5, L5/S1 herniated discs and narrow lateral recess in observation group(0.33 +/- 0.15, 0.53 +/- 0.25, 0.45 +/- 0.18 and 0.40 +/- 0.08, 0.31 +/- 0.05, 0.37 +/- 0.07) were more serious than that in control group(0.28 +/- 0.11, 0.32 +/- 0.21, 0.37 +/- 0.19 and 0.42 +/- 0.10, 0.43 +/- 0.07, 0.40 +/- 0.06), but only with significant difference at L4/L5 (P < 0.01). Sagittal diameter of vertebral canal in observation group is narrower than that in control group but of little significance(P > 0.05). Cases of vertebral hyperostosis, ligament hypertrophy and calcification were found more frequent in observation group(45.00%, 42.50%, 22.50%) than in control group(23.33%, 16.67%, 16.67%), but only ligament hypertrophy was remarkable(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAs compared with control group lumbar vertebral degenerations are more serious in underground miners with manifestations like herniated disc and narrow lateral recess mainly at L4/L5.

Adult ; Coal Mining ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods