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. 2023 Dec 11;24(1):963.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-07071-9.

Prevalence of degenerative vertebral disc changes in elite female Crossfit athletes - a cross-sectional study

Mathis Wegner #  1 , Jan-Christoph Backhauß #  2 , Yannik Michalsky  3 , Henrik Seesko  2 , Johannes Hensler  2 , Tim Klueter  3 , Olav Jansen  2 , Andreas Seekamp  3 , Sebastian Lippross  3
Affiliations

Prevalence of degenerative vertebral disc changes in elite female Crossfit athletes - a cross-sectional study

Mathis Wegner et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Crossfit athletes consistently recruit or transfer high levels of repetitive forces through the spine, and MRI has documented a higher rate of intervertebral disc degeneration in athletes compared with matched controls. The aim of this study was to evaluate early degenerative spinal disc changes in elite female CrossFit athletes quantified by 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) matched with female none-athletes.

Methods: In a cross-sectional single-center study 19 asymptomatic adult participants, nine German female elite Crossfit athletes and ten female participants underwent spinal MRI (3.0T). Demographic data, spinal clinical examination results and sport-specific performance parameters were collected prior to the MRI. The primary outcome was the prevalence of degenerative spinal disc changes. The secondary outcome was the grade of degeneration using Pfirrmann grading.

Results: A total of 437 discs underwent spinal MRI (3.0T). The prevalence of early degenerative disc disease was not increased. Pfirrmann degenerative grade did not show significant differences among groups.

Conclusion: Asymptomatic female elite Crossfit athletes do not show an increased prevalence of degenerative disc disease. Compared to a sex-matched control group, high training volume in Crossfit does not correlate to a higher incidence of degenerative disc changes in young females.

Keywords: 3.0 Tesla MRI; Crossfit; Degenerative disc disease; Female athletes; Pfirrmann grading.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of the Pfirrmann classification system broken down to location on saggital T2-weighted images of the spine. Displayed as median with interquartil range
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean cumulative Pfirrmann score (MCP) of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and whole spine in comparison between the athlete and the control group with SD error bar
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Streaky fat deposits in the autochthonous back muscles and psoas major muscle of a control participant (Goutallier 2) compared to a crossfit athlete with no visible fat infiltration and greater muscle volume (Goutallier 0)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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