Study On Correlation Between Cervical Spine Curvature In Old Age And Presence Of Cervical Spondylosis

BackgroundThe Sagittal cervical spine shows us a forward arc, that we can call it cervical spine curvature (cervical curvature). Cervical spine curvature gives us a scale to observe and measure the cervical form. In X-ray film, abnormal cervical cervature appeares earlier, and changes significantly. It is the most common early x-performance of types of cervical spondylosis, and changes throughout the whole incidence of cervical disease process. In the elderly, due to the cervical degradation, cervical spine curvature should have its own characteristics. However, how about the relationship between the incidence of cervical spondylosis, clinical research is not precise. Objective1.To study the characteristics of cervical curvature in the elderly;2. To study the relationship between the curvature in the elderly and cervical spondylosisMethod1. First Collected 294 cases of the cervical lateral X-ray images in elderly patients (aged≥45 years) from Inpatient Department and Medical Center of Guangdong Hospital. TCM, since February 2007 to February 2008,and observed the cervical curvature on the reading lights , by the help of right-angle-measuring device, and described the curve' form, to study of the cervical spine curvature of the characteristics of old age. 2. Then devided the whole into two groups of normal group and neck-pain group, the middle-aged group and the elderly group, compared each other. 3. In the same way, observed the data of 102 cases of cervical spondylosis, 37 cases in cerv-type and 65 cases in root-type, to study the relationship between the cervical curvature and cervical spondylosis.Results 1. The cervical spine curvature of the elderly patients in the normal group was 8.22±5.63mm, compared with literature data which is 12±5mm, the statistical difference was significant (P <0. 05).2. The cervical curvature of the middle-aged group compared with the elderly group, had (P> 0. 05), and the correlation analysis was also of no significant difference (P> 0.05).3. The data of neck pain group was 5. 66±5. 20mm, which was compared to the normal group with a very significant difference (P <0.01). There is significant association between the types and the presence of cervical spondylosis. The curvature categoris of both groups was mainly lordotic, and the proportion of the straight and kyphotic became significantly higher in the neck pain group.Conelusion1.The normal cervical curvature of the elderly population is decrea--easing, compared with the overall which was reported.2. Comparing the cervical spine curvature of middle-aged and the older, there was no significant difference. And the relationship between age, gender and cervical spine curvature was of no statistical significance.3. Compared with the normal patient group, the cervical curvature of the patients with neck pain and cervical spondylosis is descreasing. And in the curvature categoris, the lodortic is dominant, but the proportion of the straight and kyphotic are increasing.4. The cervical spine curvature can be the evidence of diagnosis of cervical spondylosis.