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Related Experiment Video

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Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis

Published on: March 23, 2019

The lumbar spine: structure, function, age changes and physiotherapy.

L Twomey, J Taylor

The Australian Journal of Physiotherapy

|July 16, 2014

Summary

Aging alters lumbar spine structure and function, causing vertebral changes that reduce spinal posture and flexibility. Understanding these age-related lumbar spine changes is crucial for effective physiotherapy interventions.

Keywords:

Backache Intervertebral Discs Lumbar Vertebrae Spine

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Orthopedics
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

The human lumbar spine undergoes significant structural and functional changes with increasing age.
Age-related alterations in vertebral trabeculae impact spinal mechanics and disc health.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the primary structural changes in the aging human lumbar spine.
To explain the consequences of these changes on spinal function and load-bearing capacity.

Main Methods:

Analysis of age-related structural changes in lumbar vertebrae, focusing on trabecular bone.
Examination of the subsequent effects on intervertebral disc shape and spinal biomechanics.

Main Results:

Selective loss of transversely oriented trabeculae leads to shorter, wider, and more concave vertebral end-plates.
Altered disc shape, coupled with biochemical and histological changes, reduces spinal posture, flexibility, and compliance.
Diminished capacity of the lumbar spine to withstand sustained loading.

Conclusions:

Age-related structural modifications of the lumbar spine significantly impair its functional capacity.
This knowledge is vital for physiotherapists in managing lumbar spinal disorders in aging populations.