High Prevalence of XXXX and Spondylolysis in the Lumbar Spine of Professional Beach Volleyball Players.

@entity1797 @entity854 @entity1643 @entity158
BACKGROUND: Beach volleyball is an intensive sport with high impact on the lumbar spine. @entity1643 ( @entity1643 ) is frequent among elite players. Increased prevalence of pathological changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the lumbar spine of elite athletes has been reported. HYPOTHESIS: There is an increased prevalence of @entity1797 and spondylolysis in the MRI of the lumbar spine of professional beach volleyball players. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Twenty-nine fully competitive professional male volleyball players (mean age, 28 years) completed outcomes questionnaires and underwent a complete clinical examination and an MRI of their lumbar spine. RESULTS: Whereas 86% of players suffered from @entity1643 during their career, the incidence of @entity1643 in the last 4 weeks was 35%. @entity158 rated using a visual analog scale (VAS) averaged 3 points (range, 0-8). Twenty-three of 29 players (79%) had at least 1 degenerated disc of Pfirrmann grade >= 3. The most affected spinal levels were L4-5 in 14 (48%) and L5-S1 in 15 players (52%); both levels were involved in 5 players (17%). Six of 29 (21%) players showed a spondylolysis grade 4 according to the Hollenburg classification; there was evidence of spondylolisthesis in 2 players. There was no significant correlation between @entity1643 and @entity854 . CONCLUSION: In the lumbar spine MRI of professional beach volleyball players, the prevalence of @entity1797 is 79%. Spondylolysis (21%) is up to 3 times higher compared with the normal population. Abnormal MRI findings did not correlate with @entity1643 , thus MRIs have to be interpreted with caution.
