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Biomedical subjects

J Nummi

Publications and source records attributed to J Nummi.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1980

Back and leg complaints in relation to muscle strength in young men.

Back and leg complaints were studied by using a questionnaire and medical examination in 183 male conscripts and relating the results to background variables, anthropometry, the isometric strength of large muscle groups, and endurance running. A history of sciatica was reported by 8%, lumbago by 13%, back injury by 13% and low back insufficiency by 63%. Weak trunk extensors were associated with a history of sciatica, weak trunk flexors with back injuries and with current backache at work/exercise. Weak leg extensors showed associations with a history of low back insufficiency and of sick leave due to the back and with current hip pain. Men with a history of lumbago and of hip and knee complaints performed poorly during 12 min of running. Back and leg complaints were more frequent in men with high socio-economic status, who engaged in little physical activity, or who were obese. The questionnaire and strength measurements proved suitable for studying low back syndrome in its early stages.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Radiologically detectable lumbar disc degeneration in concrete reinforcement workers.

Two hundred and ninety-five male Finnish concrete reinforcement workers, aged 19 to 64 years and engaged in heavy physical work including prolonged stooping, were radiologically examined by antero-posterior and lateral views of the lumbar spine while they were standing. The findings of lumbar disc degeneration were classified as none, slight, moderate or severe. The prevalence and degree of radiologically detectable lumbar disc degeneration depended strongly on age and increased especially rapidly from 40 to 44 years on. Lumbar disc degeneration showed an age-independent association to both a history of lumbago (chi2 = 10.5, p less than 0.01) and a history of sciatica (chi2 = 11.8, p less than 0.001). When disc degeneration was compared to reports of stiffness, fatigue, ache, and sharp pain in the back during an ordinary workday, no statistically significant associations were found, while disc degeneration was found to be slightly more common (chi2 = 4.6, p less than0.05) in the men reporting back symptoms as they bent down than in the men who did not report such symptoms. No association between length of exposure to static and dynamic back loads in reinforcement work and the prevalence of lumbar disc degeneration could be established, but definite conclusions on the possible effect of reinforcement work on the lumbar spine could not be drawn from the data.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Permanent changes in the spines of military parachutists.

To investigate whether parachuting causes permanent changes in the spine, 50 military parachutists (mean number of jumps 490 per parachutist) and 50 matched controls were studied. In X-rays of parachutists and controls, the frequency of degenerative changes differed in the cervical spine (46 and 20%; p less than 0.01), and in the thoracic spine (62 and 28%; p less than 0.05) but not in the lumbar spine (44 to 36%; not significant). Parachutists suffered significantly more often from stiff neck, but the incidence of other neck and back symptoms was the same in the two groups. The increased frequency of degenerative changes in the spine in military parachutists is probably due to repeated traumata which parachutists sustain on landing and, possibly, during the training period before parachute jumps.

Adult↗