Prevalence of Isthmic Lumbar Spondylolisthesis in Nondiabetic Subjects and NIDDM Patients
- Lauri Virta, MD,
- Tapani Rönnemaa, MD and
- Markku Laakso, MD
- Rehabilitation Research Centre of Social Insurance Institution Turku
- Department of Medicine, University of Turku Turku
- Department of Medicine, University of Kuopio Kuopio, Finland
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Lauri Virta, MD, The Rehabilitation Research Centre of Social Insurance Institution, Peltolantie 3, SF-20720 Turku, Finland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the prevalence of lumbar spondylolytic spondylolisthesis (LSS) in nondiabetic and diabetic subjects.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A cross sectional study of 1,147 randomly selected nondiabetic subjects and 892 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients, 45–64 years of age. LSS was diagnosed radiographically using a lateral view of the lumbosacral spine.
RESULTS No significant difference was seen in the prevalence of LSS between nondiabetic (6.0%) and diabetic (5.7%) subjects. LSS was more frequent in nondiabetic men (7.7%) than in nondiabetic women (4.6%; P = 0.026), whereas diabetic patients showed no significant sex difference in the prevalence of LSS (men 5.6% and women 5.9%).
CONCLUSIONS NIDDM does not predispose one to lumbar spondylolisthesis. However, diabetes seems to abolish the sex difference in the prevalence of LSS observed in nondiabetic populations.
- Received April 12, 1993.
- Accepted October 20, 1993.
- Copyright © 1994 by the American Diabetes Association
