Intervertebral Disk Diseases

Degenerative disk disease is an uncommon cause of back pain in children. There is often a delay of several months in establishing the diagnosis of a herniated disk in a child. This delay likely reflects the rarity of the lesion. Approximately 90% of affected children have a positive straight-leg-raising test. The most common causes of back pain in children are activity-related strains and sprains. Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis account for about 50% of cases of back pain in athletic children. Fewer than 3% of patients who undergo operations for a herniated disk are younger than 18; most of these are adolescents.