A longitudinal study of disc height narrowing and facet joint osteoarthritis at the thoracic and lumbar spine, evaluated by computed tomography: the Framingham Study

Prevalence and progression of disc height narrowing (DHN) and facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) in the thoracic and lumbar regions in non-clinical populations are not well established. The present study aimed to use computed tomography (CT) images to determine the prevalence and progression of DHN and FJOA according to age, sex, and spinal region. This is a 6-year longitudinal study. A total of 1,195 members of the Framingham Study (mean baseline age 61±9 years) were included in the study. We compared the prevalence and progression (new or worsening) of moderate-to-severe DHN and FJOA by age, sex, and spinal region. A musculoskeletal radiologist evaluated DHN and FJOA from T4/T5 to L4/L5 on baseline and follow-up CT images using a semi-quantitative scale: 0=normal, 1=mild, 2=moderate, and 3=severe. One-third or more of women and men ages 40–59 years at baseline had imaged-based evidence of prevalent DHN, more than half had prevalent FJOA, and DHN and FJOA prevalence increased approximately two- to fourfold in those age 60–69 and 70–89 years at baseline, respectively (p