Aim:

Low back pain is a great loss of work force, on the other hand increases the workload in emergency services. The aim of this study was to determine the spinal degenerative pathologies in the patients with low back pain and to evaluate the effects of these pathologies on the emergency department.

Methods:

Patients who applied to the emergency department with the complaint of low back pain and who were referred to the neurosurgery outpatient clinic were included in the study. Spinal degenerative pathologies was evaluated retrospectively in lumbar MRI examinations due to radiculopathy in the neurosurgery outpatient clinic or long-term low back pain in 3 months.

Results:

2220 patients 46.8% (n = 1039) women and 53.2% (n = 1181) men were treated with diagnosis code ICD (M54.4). The mean age was 40.12 ± 14.24. Lumbar MRI was performed in 31.2% (n = 693) patients. 43.7% (n = 301) 306 PDH 44.7% (n = 309) EDH, 38.6% (n = 267) LLF, 17.6% (n = 122) LSS was detected. LLF, PDH (RR 1,430, 95% IC, 1.190 to1.730) and EDH (RR 1,410, 95% IC, 1.170 to 1,700) are seen 1.4 times more than those without LLF. LSS was observed in 1.7 fold (RR 1.786, 95% CI 1,285 to 2,480) more in patients with EDH.

Conclusion:

It should be kept in mind that non-specific low back pain causes in patients admitted to the emergency department with acute low back pain are significant in terms of disc herniation, lumbar lordosis flattening and MC in MRI.

Keywords: Low back pain, emergency department, spinal degeneration, Modic changes, Lumbar lordosis flattening