ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2023
Are serum thyroid hormone, parathormone, calcium, and vitamin D levels associated with lumbar spine degeneration? A cross-sectional observational clinical study.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dietary inadequacies and their association with pain severity and disc degeneration in patients surgically treated for degenerative lumbosacral spine disorders.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Degenerative Disease of Intervertebral Disc: A Narrative Review of Pathogenesis, Clinical Implications and Therapies.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Unraveling the causal landscape of intervertebral disc degeneration: A Mendelian randomization analysis of 108 traits.Medicine · 2025Article
- Correlation between neurogenic injury and lumbar disc degeneration in tethered cord syndrome: a retrospective MRI study based on somatosensory evoked potentials.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Article
- Observational
- Causal relationship between bone mineral density and intervertebral disc degeneration: a univariate and multivariable mendelian randomization study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Roles of organokines in intervertebral disc homeostasis and degeneration.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeLow back pain (LBP) impairs the quality of life and rises healthcare costs. The association of spine degeneration and LBP with metabolic disorders have been reported, previously. However, metabolic processes related with spine degeneration remained unclear. We aimed to analyze whether serum thyroid hormones, parathormone, calcium, and vitamin D levels were associated with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), Modic changes, and fatty infiltration in the paraspinal muscles.
methodsWe cross-sectionally analyzed a retrospective database. Patients who visited internal medicine outpatient clinics with suspect of endocrine disorders and chronic LBP were searched. Patients with biochemistry results within 1 week before lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included. Age- and gender-matched cohorts were made-up and analyzed.
resultsPatients with higher serum free thyroxine levels were more likely to have severe IVDD. They were also more likely to have fattier multifidus and erector spinae at upper lumbar levels, less fatty psoas and less Modic changes at lower lumbar levels. Higher PTH levels were observed in patients with severe IVDD at L4-L5 level. Patients with lower serum vitamin D and calcium levels had more Modic changes and fattier paraspinal muscles at upper lumbar levels.
conclusionSerum hormone, vitamin D, and calcium levels were associated with not only IVDD and Modic changes but also with fatty infiltration in the paraspinal muscles, mainly at upper lumbar levels in patients with symptomatic backache presenting to a tertiary care center. Complex inflammatory, metabolic, and mechanical factors present in the backstage of spine degeneration.
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