運動器に関する疫学調査―南会津スタディ第1報：腰部脊柱管狭窄の頻度と腰痛関連QOLとの関係（横断研究）

Epidemiologic Study of Musculoskeletal Disorders―The Minami-Aizu Study. Part 1 : Cross-sectional Study of the Incidence of Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis and Its Relation to Low-Back-Pain-Related QOL

　腰部脊柱管狭窄による下肢症状を有する頻度は，加齢とともに増加することが予想されている．しかし，その実態は明らかになっていない．今回われわれは，東北腰部脊柱管狭窄研究会で作成された腰部脊柱管狭窄の診断ツールを用い，地域住民における実態調査を行った．同時に，腰痛関連QOL尺度であるRoland-Morris Disability Questionnaire日本語版も調査した．対象は，同年代の人口の21.5％に当たる地域住民1,862名である（最多年代層は70歳代）．本調査により，腰部脊柱管狭窄は加齢とともにその頻度は増大することが判明した．そして，腰部脊柱管狭窄の存在は，腰痛関連QOLを低下させることが明らかになった．

　Lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) seems to be common in the elderly, but, there have been few reports on LSCS in the community. A total of 1,862 people (greatest number in the 8th decade), approximately 21.5％ of the local population, agreed to participate in the present study and were interviewed. The diagnosis of LSCS was made on the basis of replies to a specially designed questionnaire, and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) (Japanese version) was used to evaluate low-back-pain-related QOL. The results showed that LSCS was common and that low back pain had a negative impact on the QOL of the elderly.