Wedge-shaped vertebrae is a risk factor for symptomatic upper lumbar disc herniation

Table 1 Comparison of patient characteristics between ULDH and LLDH groups

Variable	ULDH (65 cases)	LLDH (65 cases)	t/χ² value	P value
Age at operation (years)^a	42.2 ± 8.0	43.8 ± 7.5	1.176	0.242
Sex^b
Male	33	39	1.121	0.290
Female	32	26	1.121	0.290
Duration of disease (months)^a	26.7 ± 15.7	28.6 ± 16.5	0.673	0.502
BMI^a	25.0 ± 7.4	25.7 ± 6.2	0.585	0.560
History of trauma^b
Yes	17	19	0.154	0.695
No	48	46	0.154	0.695
WSV^b
Yes	29	14	7.819	0.005^*
No	36	51	7.819	0.005^*
WAV^a	11.2 ± 6.2	3.4 ± 3.2	9.013	< 0.001^*
TL^a	16.3 ± 8.2	6.5 ± 4.1	8.618	< 0.001^*
LL^a	36.6 ± 8.2	39.1 ± 7.6	1.802	0.074

ULDH upper lumbar disc herniation, LLDH lower lumbar disc herniation, BMI body mass index, WSV wedge-shaped vertebrae, WAV wedging angle of the vertebrae, TL thoracolumbar kyphotic angle, LL lumbar lordosis
^aIndependent t test
^bChi-square tests
^*P < 0.05

ISSN: 1749-799X