Sample characteristics
| Variable | No.a | Patients with LBP (240 Subjects) | No.a | Subjects without LBP (64 Subjects) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (range) (yr)b | 240 | 43 (38–47) | 64 | 45 (41–47) |
| Sexc | 240 | 64 | ||
| Male (median) | 108 (45) | 35 (54.7) | ||
| Female (median) | 132 (55) | 29 (45.3) | ||
| BMI (range) (Kg/m2)b | 228 | 24.6 (22.4–27.3) | 60 | 25.2 (21.9–27.4) |
| Lifetime smoking (pack-years) (range)b | 224 | 2.3 (0.0–11.2) | 60 | 3 (0–11) |
| Highly intense physical activity (median)c | 199 | 51 (25.6) | 48 | 9 (18.8) |
| Low back pain severity (VAS) (range)b | 229 | 4 (2–7) | 52 | 0 (0–0) |
| Duration of pain (range) (mo) | 185 | 46 (11–112) | 64 | |
| Disability (range) (RMQ)b | 213 | 6 (3–12) | 6 | 1 (1–1) |
| Vertebral endplate changes (any type)c,d | 240 | 193 (80.4) | 64 | 56 (87.5) |
| Types of vertebral endplate changesc | 193 | 56 | ||
| Only type I | 10 (4.2) | 1 (1.6) | ||
| Types I and II | 38 (15.8) | 14 (21.9) | ||
| Types I and III | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Type I, II, and III | 11 (4.6) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Only type II | 120 (50.0) | 40 (62.5) | ||
| Types II and III | 11 (4.6) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| Only type III | 1 (0.4) | 1 (1.6) | ||
| No. of vertebral endplate changes per patientb | 240 | 2 (1; 3) | 64 | 3 (2; 4) |
| Severe disk degenerationc | 240 | 158 (65.8) | 64 | 30 (46.9) |
↵a No. of subjects in each group for whom data on the corresponding variable were available (subjects who answered the corresponding question or in whom the variable was applicable—eg, age, sex, weight, height, patients who showed any type of vertebral endplate change or severe disk degeneration, and so forth).
↵b Median (P25, P75).
↵c No. (%).
↵d P value for the comparison of the proportion of vertebral endplate changes among subjects without LBP, compared with those with LBP: .191.