Correlation Between Pre-Employment Screening X-Ray Finding of Spondylolysis and Sickness Absenteeism Due to Low Back Pain Among Policemen of the Israeli Police Force

Study Dasign, A historical prospective cessi/ontrol study of the significance and correiation between pre-ernployment findings of L5-51 spondylolysis anti sickness absentseism due to low back pain among potice officers. Objectives. Examining the importence of pre employment lumbar spine radiographs as a prediction of work absenteeism. Summaty of Background Data. Spandylolysis is a defact in the part interarticularis. Its atlology remains controversial, it is a common condition among yong athietes. and it carries genetic predisposition Although described mostly as an incidentai radiographic lindig in the adait papulation, spondyfolysis is impilcated as a contributing factor of lew back pain, although the cause-end-effectreiation is not clear. Methods. One hundred and sixty-nine police officers with LS-S1 spondylolysis were identified out of 3988 exemined. Incidence density ofsickness absenteeigm due to low back pain was calculated for the patients and the controls. The Cox's proportional hazard model was used for comparison between the two groups, controlling for possitile confounding variables. Results. Similar incidence of sickness absentesism' due to low back pain was found among the pallerts and controls. The total duration of sickness absenteeism, however, was 2.7 times higher In the spondylolysis group than the controls,Prevalence of spondyloylysis is origin specilic, dennotinggenetic predisposition to this condition Total sickness absenteeism not related to low back pain was not significantly different between the two study groups. Conclusions. There is low pradictive value of pre-employment lumbar a spine radiograph as a screening tool predicting sickness absenteeism due to low back pain. spondyloylsis. however may incresse the duration of sickness absenteeism in patients with: low back pain.