Influence of Physiological Loading on the Lumbar Spine of National Level Athletes in Different Sports

The lumbar spine is subjected to considerable stress during many athletic efforts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of physiological loading on the lumbar spine in national male players of different games, which may be predictive of the future development of low back pain and injury symptoms. Thirty-four national players (12 cricket players, 12 field hockey players, and 10 basketball players) underwent magnetic resonance imaging, and selected geometric variables including intervertebral disc angles, the Farfan ratio, the lumbar body index, the compression deformity ratio, the biconcave deformity ratio and the anterior wedge deformity ratio were measured using KINOVEA-0.8.15 software and syngo fast view software and calculated using specific formulas. The results indicated a significant difference in the intervertebral disc angle between the three groups at the L2/3, L3/4 and L4/5 levels. In relation to the lumbar vertebral body shape and size, significant differences were found in the lumbar index at the L2 level, in the biconcave deformity at the L1 and L2 levels and in relation to the anterior wedge deformity at L2 between the three selected groups. Our data suggest that the different physiological loadings in the selected sports play an important role in the development of degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, which may be considered a risk factor for future injury and/or low back pain in each specific sport because of the unique demands of each discipline.