Clinical Characteristics of Geriatric Patients With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract Although the prevalence and the associated burden of LBP increase with age, research on LBP has primarily focused on young people and adults, and little attention has been given to the elderly population. Chronic inflammation is well-known as senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which produces numerous proinflammatory cytokines leading to age-related inflammation. We enrolled 203 patients with an average age of 79.0 years, with non-specific CLBP; the patients were compared with age- and sex-matched controls without CLBP using a propensity score-matched analysis. We performed laboratory analysis, radiographic evaluations for global spinal parameter and lumbar degeneration assessment, and body composition analysis using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We observed a higher red blood cell distribution width (RDW), as well as a lower skeletal muscle mass index and a higher fat mass in patients with CLBP. Moreover, patients with geriatric CLBP had significantly lower lumbar lordosis, and higher sagittal vertical axis was correlated with lower muscle mass in the extremities and trunk, independent of lumbar degeneration. Geriatric CLBP is associated with senescence. RDW, which is an index of aging, was high among elderly patients with CLBP. Furthermore, geriatric patients with CLBP often have age-related skeletal muscle mass reduction and spinal sagittal malalignment.