Magnetic resonance imaging findings of the lumbar spine in elite horseback riders: correlations with back pain, body mass index, trunk/leg-length coefficient, and riding discipline.
Abstract: Most orthopaedic problems experienced by competitive horseback riders are related to pain in the lower back, hip joint, and hamstring muscles. Riders-especially, show jumpers-are frequently hampered in their performance because of lumbar pain. To date, there has been no research into lumbar disk degeneration in elite competitive riders. Objective: Competitive horseback riding accelerates lumbar disk degeneration. Methods: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Fifty-eight elite riders (18 men, 40 women; mean age, 32.4 years) and a control group of 30 nonriding volunteers (17 men, 13 women; mean age, 28.7 years) were evaluated for lumbar disk degeneration, cross-sectional area of paraspinal muscles, spondylolysis, and spondylolisthesis, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The prevalence of disk degeneration between the 2 groups was compared, and the relationship was investigated between low back pain (LBP), riding discipline, body mass index (BMI), trunk/leg-length coefficient, and MRI results. Results: Eighty-eight percent of elite riders (n = 51) had a history of LBP, versus 33% of the controls (P < .05). There was no statistical difference for the prevalence of LBP among the different riding disciplines. However, there was a high rate of pathologic T2 signal intensity of the lumbar intervertebral disk among riders-specifically, dressage riders-yet no significant increase when compared with controls. History of LBP symptoms, riding discipline, BMI, and trunk/leg-length ratio had no significant effect on the development of lumbar disk degeneration. Occult fractures of the pars interarticularis and manifest spondylolysis were not seen for any rider. Two controls had spondylolisthesis Meyerding grade 1 not associated with back pain. Conclusions: Although riders have a high prevalence of LBP, there is no conclusive MRI evidence to suggest that the cause lies in undue disk degeneration, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, or pathologic changes of the paraspinal muscles of the lumbar spine.
Publication Date: 2009-07-02 PubMed ID: 19574474DOI: 10.1177/0363546509336927Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research examines the correlation between horseback riding and the degeneration of lumbar discs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study found that whilst there is a high prevalence of lower back pain (LBP) among riders, their MRI scans do not indicate that this pain is caused by abnormal degeneration of the lumbar discs, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, or changes in the paraspinal muscles of the lumbar spine.
Background and Methodology
- The study is a response to the perceived gap in research regarding lumbar disk degeneration among elite horseback riders.
- This was a cross-sectional study, involving 58 elite riders and a comparison group of 30 non-riding volunteers.
- Participants were evaluated for lumbar disk degeneration, the cross-sectional area of paraspinal muscles, spondylolisthesis, and spondylolysis using MRI.
Findings
- The study revealed that 88% of elite riders had a history of lower back pain (LBP), compared to 33% in the control group, however, it did not prove that the cause of the pain was due to lumbar disk degeneration.
- There was also no statistical difference in the prevalence of LBP among different riding disciplines. Despite this, researchers observed a high rate of pathological T2 signal intensity in the lumbar intervertebral disk among riders, especially dressage riders. However, this finding was not statistically significant when compared to the control group.
- No significant correlation was found between LBP, riding discipline, body mass index (BMI), trunk/leg-length ratio and the MRI results.
- The study also found an absence of occult fractures of the pars interarticularis and manifest spondylolysis in riders, while two individuals in the control group demonstrated spondylolisthesis Meyerding grade 1, which was not associated with back pain.
Conclusion
- Despite high LBP among riders, the MRI evidence did not show a correlation between horseback riding and abnormal disk degeneration, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, or changes in the paraspinal muscles of the lumbar spine – the four commonly assumed causes of the pain.
- This study disproved previous assumptions about the relationship between horseback riding and lumbar disk degeneration, advancing understanding on the matter and suggesting room for future research into the causes of LBP among riders.
Cite This Article
APA
Kraft CN, Pennekamp PH, Becker U, Young M, Diedrich O, Lüring C, von Falkenhausen M.
(2009).
Magnetic resonance imaging findings of the lumbar spine in elite horseback riders: correlations with back pain, body mass index, trunk/leg-length coefficient, and riding discipline.
Am J Sports Med, 37(11), 2205-2213.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546509336927 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios Klinikum Krefeld, Academic Teaching Hospital University of Düsseldorf, Krefeld, Germany. clayton.kraft@helios-kliniken.de
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Animals
- Athletic Injuries / etiology
- Athletic Injuries / pathology
- Body Mass Index
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / etiology
- Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / pathology
- Low Back Pain / etiology
- Low Back Pain / pathology
- Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Male
- Young Adult
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Elmeua González M, Šarabon N. Effects of saddle tilt and stirrup length on the kinetics of horseback riders.. PeerJ 2022;10:e14438.
- Koyama K, Nakazato K, Kubo Y, Gushiken K, Hatakeda Y, Seo K, Nakase T, Hiranuma K. Effects of Competition Level on the Prevalence and Incidence of Lumbar Disk Degeneration in Japanese Collegiate Gymnasts.. Orthop J Sports Med 2022 Nov;10(11):23259671221119439.
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