The Dual Effect of Abnormal Serum Uric Acid on Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

An abnormal serum uric acid (SUA) level is associated with many diseases. To our knowledge, there is no research on the association between SUA and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between SUA and IDD. From June 2011 to July 2020, 691 patients undergoing surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) were included in the LDH group, and 684 patients who underwent endoscopic surgery for knee trauma were included in the non-LDH group. We examined the baseline characteristics of all these patients and divided the SUA level into 10 groups according to the percentiles in males, females, and the total population. Subsequently, the relationship between the SUA level and IDD was further analyzed. There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics of the two groups (p > 0.05). Among the 10 groups, the LDH rate was higher at both lower and higher SUA levels. In multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and drinking, when the SUA level was <20% or >80%, compared with 60–80%, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of LDH of the total population were 1.821 (1.125–2.946) and 1.701 (1.186–2.438), respectively, and in the males, they were 1.922 (1.169–3.161) and 2.800 (1.766, 4.439), respectively. In females, when the SUA was <20%, there was a higher LDH rate (OR = 1.951, 95% CI 1.091-3.486). The present study suggests that there is a U-shaped relationship between SUA and IDD, being particularly prominent among male. Lower and higher SUA level may be risk factors for IDD.