Lumbar Spondylolysis in Chinese Adults: Prevalence and Musculoskeletal Conditions.

Dong YAN; Yan Dong LIU; Ling WANG; Kai LI; Wen Shuang ZHANG; Yi YUAN; Jian GENG; Kang Kang MA; Feng Yun ZHOU; Zi Tong CHENG; Xiao Guang CHENG

Return

Lumbar Spondylolysis in Chinese Adults: Prevalence and Musculoskeletal Conditions.

Author: Dong YAN ¹ ; Yan Dong LIU ¹ ; Ling WANG ² ; Kai LI ¹ ; Wen Shuang ZHANG ¹ ; Yi YUAN ¹ ; Jian GENG ¹ ; Kang Kang MA ¹ ; Feng Yun ZHOU ¹ ; Zi Tong CHENG ¹ ; Xiao Guang CHENG ²
Author Information

1. Department of Radiology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Orthopaedics, Beijing 100035, China.
2. Department of Radiology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Orthopaedics, Beijing 100035, China;JST sarcopenia Research Centre, Beijing Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Beijing 100035, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Chinese; Lumbar spondylolysis; Musculoskeletal quantitative analysis; Prevalence; Spondylolytic spondylolisthesis
MeSH: Humans; Male; Female; Middle Aged; China/epidemiology*; Prevalence; Adult; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging*; Spondylolysis/diagnostic imaging*; Aged; Bone Density; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Aged, 80 and over; Spondylolisthesis/epidemiology*; East Asian People
From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(5):598-606
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To determine the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis (LS) and the proportion of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis (SS) in China, and to evaluate the musculoskeletal status of patients with LS and SS.
METHODS:Spine Computed Tomography (CT) images were collected from community populations aged 40 and above in a nationwide multi-center project. LS was diagnosed, and SS was graded by an experienced radiologist. Bone mineral density (BMD) and paraspinal muscle parameters were quantified based on CT images.
RESULTS:One hundred and seventeen patients of a total of 3,317 individuals were diagnosed with LS, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 3.53%. 63 of the 1,214 males (5.18%) and 54 of the 2,103 females (2.57%) were diagnosed with LS. SS occurred in 64/121 vertebrae (52.89%). BMD was not associated with LS ( P = 0.341). The L5 extensor paraspinal muscle density was higher in the LS group than in the non-LS group. In the LS group, patients with SS had a smaller L5 paraspinal extensor muscle cross-sectional area than those without SS ( P = 0.003).
CONCLUSION:The prevalence of LS in Chinese adults was 3.53%, with prevalence rates of 5.18% in males and 2.57% in females. Patients with LS have higher muscle density, whereas those with SS have smaller muscle cross-sectional areas at the L5 level.