Characteristics of lumbar disc degeneration and risk factors for collapsed lumbar disc in Korean farmers and fishers.

Background: Few studies have investigated the risk factors for lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration among hard physical workers involved in heavy lifting. In this study, we aimed to identify the characteristics of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration and evaluate the relationship between collapsed lumbar disc and potential risk factors in farmers and fishers.

Methods: This study included 203 farmers (103 men and 100 women) and 166 fishers (95 men and 71 women) aged 40-69 years who had undergone lumbar magnetic resonance imaging and were enrolled in the Korea Farmer's Knee Cohort and the Jeonnam Fishers' Cohort.