Is Cervical Disc Degeneration a Compensatory Mechanism in Hirayama Disease? A Retrospective Case‒Control Study.

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association between cervical disc degeneration and disease progression in patients with Hirayama disease, with a particular focus on changes in the cervical intervertebral disc space height and potential compensatory mechanisms.

Methods: This retrospective study included 35 patients diagnosed with Hirayama disease (HD), who were compared with 35 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. This study focused on collecting and analyzing cervical disc grades and intervertebral space heights from C2 to C7, aiming to assess the extent of cervical disc degeneration between HD patients and the control group. The analysis used independent sample t tests and Mann‒Whitney U tests for demographic data and Spearman's correlation coefficient to explore the relationship between disc degeneration and age.

Results: Compared with the control group, patients with Hirayama disease presented significant reductions in intervertebral disc height (P < .01) and increased disc degeneration. Within the HD group, most patients displayed multisegment degeneration (30 out of 35), and more than half presented with full-segment disc degeneration (20 out of 35), which was significantly different from the normal population (P < .01).

Conclusion: Patients with Hirayama disease exhibit disc degeneration and reduced intervertebral space height, which may represent a compensatory response.