TY - JOUR TT - The Effect of Occupation on Degree of Lumbar Disc Degeneration AU - Ak, Hakan PY - 2017 DA - November JF - The Turkish Journal Of Occupational / Environmental Medicine and Safety JO - turjoem PB - Engin TUTKUN WT - DergiPark SN - 2149-4711 SP - 56 EP - 56 VL - 2 IS - 1(4) KW - The Effect of Occupation on Degree of Lumbar Disc Degeneration N2 - Aim:Work-related low back pain is one of the most challenging disorders. In thisstudy, we aimed to point the presence of any correlation between occupation anddegree of lumbar disc degeneration.  Materials: Inthis study, files of patients diagnosed with disc degeneration on magneticresonance imaging were reviewed retrospectively from July 2016 to September2016 for patients with back and/or leg pain at neurosurgery clinic of BozokUniversity. 100 male and 100 female patients were included in the study. Ageranged from 25 to 65 years, and patients were divided into three age groups:25-35 (group 1), 35-45 (group 2), and over 45 years (group 3). Occupations wereidentified as housewife (group 1), teacher (group 2) and health worker (group3) in women. Occupations in men were assigned as construction workers (group1), teachers (group 2), and health workers (group 3). The working year wasorganized as 0-5 years (group 1), 5-10 years (group 2), 10-15 years (group 3)and 15 years (group 4). The degree of degeneration in MRI was regulated asblack disc-bulging (group 1), protrusion (group 2), extrusion (group 3), andsequestration (4). The type of treatment was divided into conservative (group1) and surgery (group 2) groups. Patients with diabetes, chronic liver disease,hypertension, obesity, coronary heart disease, thyroid gland disorder,osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, and severe trauma were not included inthe study.Results: Atotal of 23 (11.5%) patients underwent surgery. In 78 patients (39%), workingyear was 10-15 years. Only 2 (1%) patients were found to be working for morethan 15 years. Statistically significant differences were found between thedegree of degeneration and the type of treatment, and gender and degree of discdegeneration (more severe in males).  Conclusion: There is no consensus as to what discdegeneration actually is or how it can be distinguished from the physiologicalprocess of growth, aging, healing and adaptive remodeling. In severalresearches indicates that physical activity increases disc degeneration howeverthere are some other researches that indicate the opposite way. In our study,we clearly indicate that there is no relationship between the degree of discdegeneration and occupation.Key words:occupation, disc degeneration, magnetic resonance imaging  CR - Hakan Ak, MD Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat /TURKEY UR - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/turjoem/issue//386023 L1 - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/413930 ER -