Causes of Adolescent Low Back Pain: A Retrospective Study.
Imana Rhoden, Jeremy Simon, Adam T Chrusch and 3 others
PMID 40678277WHAT IT FOUND
In adolescents with low back pain, most cases had no specific cause (42.81%).
Disc disease was the second most common (27.64%), more frequent in women. Spondylolysis was third (14.54%), more frequent in men. This challenges assumptions about the primary driver of adolescent back pain.
Key findings
01Low back pain without a specific cause was the most common diagnosis, affecting 827 patients (42.81%).
02Disc disease was the second most common diagnosis (27.64%), with a higher prevalence in women (30.10%) than men (24.95%).
03Spondylolysis was the third most common diagnosis (14.54%), with a higher prevalence in men (20.82%) than women (8.81%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Diagnoses relied on provider documentation and imaging ordered in clinical practice, not standardized research protocols. The study was conducted in a specialized orthopedic practice, so results may not generalize to primary care settings. The retrospective nature means there was no randomization or control group. Imaging variability (e.g., X-ray vs. MRI) may have skewed the detection of specific pathologies like spondylolysis or disc disease.
Declared interests
The investigators have no financial or nonfinancial disclosures to make in relation to this project.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these prevalence rates apply to all adolescents with back pain. This study only looked at patients seen in specialized orthopedic offices, which likely have more severe or complex cases than those seen in primary care.