Abstract
Biomarkers can supplement traditional epidemiologic research on the causes of musculoskeletal disorders. As indicators of changes at tissue or molecular level in the structures in the back, biomarkers can improve the understanding of the intermediate steps between exposure to risk factors and the occurrence of back disorders. By providing exposure information that is specific to the individual, and to target tissues, biomarkers can help to reduce misclassification in exposure measures, and thus enhance our ability to detect dose-response relations. Because of the complex anatomy of the back and the multifactorial etiology of back disorders it is complicated to identify useful biomarkers. Degenerative changes in intervertebral discs are believed to play a crucial role in the relation between exposure to mechanical load and back disorders. Based on the literature various potential biomarkers of degenerative changes in intervertebral discs are selected and four different studies are performed to investigate their feasibility as tools in epidemiologic research.
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