[Epidemiological characteristics of low back pain in selected sample of rehabilitation centre "Reumal" in Fojnica].

Low back pain, with or without propagation to lower extremities, still remains challenge not only for therapy but as diagnostic entity as well. This is the reason why literature is regularly refreshed with new epidemiological studies of low back pain. Six years retrospective study included 55.725 patients rehabilitated in Rehabilitation centre "Reumal" in Fojnica, from January 1997 to December 2002. From this sample it has been isolated 12.296 patients with diagnosis referred to low back pain, in order to get certain epidemiological parameters of low back pain, as: intrahospital prevalence, gender and age overview, overview of diagnostic entities referred to low back pain and their relationship to gender. Total prevalence of low back pain was 22,6 %, ranging from 17,8 % to 28,6 % by years. This epidemiological parameter of low back pain, as well as others, correlate with data of other studies.