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Related Concept Videos

Degenerative Disc Disease I: Introduction01:27

Degenerative Disc Disease I: Introduction

Degenerative disc disease is a chronic condition in which intervertebral discs gradually lose structure and function. It is not infectious or autoimmune; rather, it results from age-related biochemical and mechanical changes, influenced by genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors.Structure and Function of DiscsThe spine contains 23 intervertebral discs that absorb load, distribute forces, maintain spacing, and allow flexibility. Each disc consists of a nucleus pulposus, a gel-like core...
Structural Joints: Cartilaginous Joints01:17

Structural Joints: Cartilaginous Joints

As the name indicates, at a cartilaginous joint, the adjacent bones are united by cartilage, a tough but flexible type of connective tissue. Unlike synovial joints, these types of joints lack a joint cavity and involve bones joined together by either hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage.
There are two types of cartilaginous joints:
Synchondrosis
A synchondrosis ("joined by cartilage") is a cartilaginous joint where bones are connected by hyaline cartilage. Synchondrosis may be temporary or...
General Structure of a Vertebra01:30

General Structure of a Vertebra

A typical vertebra, with the exception of the sacrum and coccyx, consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and seven different projections termed processes. The anterior portion of the vertebrae, the body, supports about half the body’s weight. The vertebral bodies progressively increase in size and thickness from the cervical region to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The intervertebral discs present between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae firmly unites them, forming a continuous column.
Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature01:16

Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature

The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and  allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...
Degenerative Disc Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Degenerative Disc Disease ll: Pathophysiology

The symptoms of degenerative disc disease arise from a combination of mechanical compression, vascular compromise, and biochemical inflammation, which together disrupt nerve function and produce pain.Mechanical CompressionDisc degeneration reduces height and elasticity, predisposing to herniation of the nucleus pulposus, a major cause of radicular pain. Herniations may be protrusion (bulging with intact annulus), extrusion (nucleus extends beyond disc but remains connected), or sequestration...
Herniated Intervertebral Disc l: Introduction01:29

Herniated Intervertebral Disc l: Introduction

Intervertebral disc herniation refers to the displacement of the nucleus pulposus (the gel-like inner core of the disc) through a tear or weakened area in the annulus fibrosus (the outer fibrous ring). The displaced disc material extends beyond the normal boundaries of the disc space and may compress or irritate nearby spinal nerve roots or, less commonly, the spinal cord.Etiology and Risk FactorsHerniation commonly results from degeneration, in which aging reduces disc hydration and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Mouse Lumbar Vertebra Uniaxial Compression Testing with Embedding of the Loading Surface
07:52

Mouse Lumbar Vertebra Uniaxial Compression Testing with Embedding of the Loading Surface

Published on: December 1, 2023

Vertebral fragility and structural redundancy.

Aaron J Fields1, Shashank Nawathe, Senthil K Eswaran

  • 1Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
|May 25, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Age-related vertebral fragility may stem from reduced structural redundancy. Weak vertebrae with low bone volume fraction collapse easily due to limited load redistribution pathways after trabecular failure.

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Last Updated: May 22, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Orthopedic Research
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Age-related vertebral fragility is a significant clinical issue.
  • The precise mechanisms underlying vertebral bone loss and increased fracture risk with aging are not fully understood.
  • Structural redundancy, the ability to redistribute stress after local bone failure, is hypothesized to play a role.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between structural redundancy and age-related vertebral fragility.
  • To quantify the amount of tissue failure and identify failure mechanisms in elderly human vertebrae.
  • To explore how bone volume fraction influences vertebral strength and failure patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Biomechanical testing of 12 elderly human thoracic ninth vertebral bodies.
  • Nonlinear micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) based finite element analysis.
  • Estimation of failed tissue volume and analysis of failure mechanisms post-overload.

Main Results:

  • The proportion of failed tissue decreased significantly with lower bone volume fraction (r² = 0.66, p < 0.01).
  • Vertebrae with low bone volume fraction experienced complete failure after only a small percentage (<5%) of tissue failure.
  • Reduced load redistribution capacity and increased susceptibility to bending failure in remaining trabeculae were observed in weaker vertebrae.

Conclusions:

  • Diminished structural redundancy is a key factor in age-related vertebral fragility.
  • Low bone volume fraction leads to increased vertebral susceptibility to collapse due to insufficient load-bearing capacity.
  • Understanding these mechanisms can inform strategies for preventing osteoporotic fractures in the elderly.