Abstract
In the recent literature, DDD covers a wide spectrum of symptoms and radiological findings, from low back pain to acquired spinal canal stenosis and symptomatic herniated disk-related symptoms. Symptoms at first glance appear to result from the cumulative exposure of the spinal elements to excessive loading, sports, and principally work. However, this simple theory is not consistent with our contemporary understanding of developmental biology and genetics. A fundamental question arises too: Are we studying radiological aspects or real illness? This chapter focuses the modern concepts in the epidemiology of lumbar degenerative disk disease.
✠ Author was deceased at the time of publicationDr. Pierre Kehrli, Chairman of Neurosurgery of the Strasbourg University, France, tragically died before completing this chapter. He died suddenly, in May 2014, at the age of 50, from an aortic aneurysm. His legacy to the privileged people who worked with him included his extreme technical ability as a neurosurgeon and his gentle character. The coauthors pay a small tribute to this fantastic human being with this chapter to the book.
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Kehrli, P., Esposito, P., Pinheiro-Franco, J.L. (2016). Epidemiology of Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease. In: Pinheiro-Franco, J., Vaccaro, A., Benzel, E., Mayer, H. (eds) Advanced Concepts in Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47756-4_5
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