An analysis of social characteristics of hospitalized spinal degenerative disease patients in the orthopedic department of Peking University Third Hospital during a period of 2008 to 2014

English Keywords:Spinal degenerative diseases  Cervical degenerative diseases  Thoracic degenerative diseases  Lumber degenerative diseases  Hospitalized patient  Characteristics of patients

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objectives: To explore the correlation of the incidence and social characteristics in patients with spinal degenerative diseases(SDD), and to provide certain evidence for prevention, treatment and incidence control of the disease. Methods: Data between January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2014 were collected from electronic medical documents of the orthopedic department, including patients who suffered from SDD, treated by operation for the first time and aged 18 years old or over. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyze the correlation of social characteristics of patients（eg. age, gender, career, place of birth, nationality and comorbidities） and the degenerative spinal diseases. Results: Total number of included patients with SDD was 22951, including 12838(55.9%) male patients and 10113(44.1%) female patients. The average age was 52.4±11.6 years old(aged 18 to 86 years old). The number of patients with cervical degenerative spinal diseases(CDD) was 10941(47.7%); with thoracic degenerative spinal diseases(TDD) was 588(2.6%); with lumber degenerative spinal diseases(LDD) was 11422(49.8%). There were significant differences in gender, age, occupation and regional distribution of SDD in different parts of the patients(P＜0.001), and there was no significant difference in the distribution of nationality. In the patients with CDD, a higher percentage was in male, 50 to 54 years old people and office staff, when the gender, age and career of the patients were considered; in the patients with TDD, a higher percentage was in male and peasants, when the gender and career of the patients were considered; in the patients who were younger than 45 years old and with LDD, a higher percentage was in male as considering gender, especially in the patients aged 18 to 29 years old; however, in the patients who were older than 45 years old and with LDD, a higher percentage was in female as considering gender. Additionally, the number of patients who had or did not have comorbidities was 8160 or 14791. The comorbidities of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis of knee joint were common in patients who had LDD, with a percentage of 86.1%(348/404) and 70.0%(147/210); the comorbidity of hypertrophy/calficy of ligamentum was common in patients who had CDD, with a percentage of 79.9%(2114/2645). The rates of the comorbidities of hypertension and diabetes in patients who had SDD were 20.8%(4749/22951) and 9.7%(2230/22951), respectively. Conclusions: Social characteristics in SDD are significant and vary according to the area of degenerative spinal diseases. Risk population for CDD is male, 50 to 54 years old people and office staff; risk population for TDD is male and peasants; risk population for LDD is male younger than 45 years old, especially the 18 to 29 years old male patients, and female older than 45 years old. Additionally, osteoprosis and osteoarthritis of knee joint are risk factors for LDD, and hypertrophy/calficy of ligamentum is risk factors for CDD. Interventions and educations in these high risk populations are important to decrease the incidence of degenerative spinal diseases.