This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Upright MRI shows heavy backpacks lead to disc compression in pediatric spines
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Typical school backpack loads caused compression of spinal discs and spinal curvature in children, according to a standing MRI study conducted by investigators from the University of California, San Diego.
The findings were published in a recent issue of Spine.
The study, led by Timothy Neuschwander, MD, is one of the first to measure the effects of backpacks on children’s spines using this imaging technique, according to a press release.
Study design
The study included eight children with a mean age 11 years. The investigators used an upright MRI scanner to obtain images of the children’s spines in standing position. They first obtained images of the children with empty backpacks and then increased the weights of the backpacks to 9, 18, and 26 pounds, which represented approximately 10%, 20%, and 30% of the children’s body weight, according to the press release.
As the backpack load increased, the investigators discovered greater intervertebral disc compression and increased curvature of the lower spine. They found significant spinal curvature in four children with the 18-pound backpack and discovered that most children had to adjust their posture to bear the 26-pound backpack.
Long-term pain
In addition, the children reported increased pain while bearing the heavier loads. The investigators also found that the increased disc compression and spinal curvature seen on the MRI scans were related to the pain reported by the children, according to the release.
The children in the study wore the backpacks over both shoulders, the investigators noted. However, the spinal curvature could be greater in children who carry their backpacks over one shoulder.
“Low back pain in children may be worsened by discogenic or postural changes,” Neuschwander and colleagues wrote.
Children with back pain are at increased risk of having back pain as adults, according to the release. The investigators called for similar studies to examine the effects of heavy backpacks in children with existing back pain.
- Reference:
Neuschwander TB, Cutrone J, Macias BR, et al. The effect of backpacks on the lumbar spine in children: a standing magnetic resonance imaging study. Spine. 2010;35(1):83-88.
This topic has been studied for some time. The use of an upright MRI adds a new dimension to trying to understand the impact of heavy backpacks on school-age children. The data suggest that there is a clear short-term impact on both disc height (and likely hydration) as well as curvature or scoliosis. The results are certainly believable.
The significance is difficult to predict because these are short-term radiographic observations that may or may not correlate directly with low back pain or even accelerated degeneration or aging. However, one wonders if it is not finally time to have our children use the backpacks that have the wheels and pullout handles instead of carrying them on their backs.
Scott D. Boden, MD
Orthopedics
Today Spine Section Editor
Follow OrthoSuperSite.com
on Twitter