- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Intervertebral Disc
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
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Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
There are numerous factors and disease states that can affect the blood supply to the vertebral body and therefore the disc. These disorders include atherosclerosis, sickle cell anemia, Caisson disease and Gaucher's disease. Chronic smoking is associated with increased risk for disc degeneration because of the depletion of vitamin C and relative hypoxia created by tobacco smoke. Any condition which results in thickening of the endplate will also compromise disc health.
Disc degeneration involves structural and cell-related changes but there is limited evidence as to which comes first. Degenerative disc disease is associated with structural changes which include disruption of supportive annular fibers (disc tears), buckling of the inner annular fibers, reduced intervertebral disc height, endplate defects, and vertical bulging of the endplates into the adjacent vertebral bodies.
Degenerative changes of the intervertebral discs often are also accompanied by arthritic changes in the spinal (facet) joints, and by the development of bone spurs (osteophytes) along the margins of the vertebral bodies. This collective process is often referred to as spondylosis. Progressive spondylosis can lead to narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis).
The loss of vertical disc height secondary to disc degeneration causes the adjacent two vertebrae to move closer to one another. This results in a narrowing of the disc space between the two vertebrae. As this shift occurs, the facet joints (located at the back of the spine) are forced to shift. This is sometimes referred to as rostrocaudal subluxation.
The process of disc degeneration occurs due to the presence of multiple factors.
More recent work suggested that the factors that lead to disc degeneration may have important genetic components. Some genes associated with disc degeneration have been identified. Several studies have also reported a strong familial predisposition for disc degeneration and herniation. Certain chemical deficiencies within the disc have also been associated with early or accelerated disc degeneration. Genetic mapping, for instance, has identified a susceptibility locus for disc herniation, but the gene involved has not yet been identified.
Disc degeneration involves structural and cell-related changes but there is limited evidence as to which comes first. Degenerative disc disease is associated with structural changes which include disruption of supportive annular fibers (disc tears), buckling of the inner annular fibers, reduced intervertebral disc height, endplate defects, and vertical bulging of the endplates into the adjacent vertebral bodies.
Degenerative changes of the intervertebral discs often are also accompanied by arthritic changes in the spinal (facet) joints, and by the development of bone spurs (osteophytes) along the margins of the vertebral bodies. This collective process is often referred to as spondylosis. Progressive spondylosis can lead to narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis).
The loss of vertical disc height secondary to disc degeneration causes the adjacent two vertebrae to move closer to one another. This results in a narrowing of the disc space between the two vertebrae. As this shift occurs, the facet joints (located at the back of the spine) are forced to shift. This is sometimes referred to as rostrocaudal subluxation.
The process of disc degeneration occurs due to the presence of multiple factors.
More recent work suggested that the factors that lead to disc degeneration may have important genetic components. Some genes associated with disc degeneration have been identified. Several studies have also reported a strong familial predisposition for disc degeneration and herniation. Certain chemical deficiencies within the disc have also been associated with early or accelerated disc degeneration. Genetic mapping, for instance, has identified a susceptibility locus for disc herniation, but the gene involved has not yet been identified.
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