[Physiological aging spine].

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Spinal Anatomy
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Physiological aging (senescence) impacts the spine from the first decade, accelerating after the third.
• Spinal aging is linked to cellular entropy and random pathologies, causing multisystem alterations.
• The term 'degenerative disc disease' is insufficient to describe comprehensive spinal aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the comprehensive nature of spinal aging beyond degenerative disc disease.
• To detail the multisystemic alterations involved in spinal senescence.
• To explore the variability in degenerative spinal lesion impact.

Main Methods:

• Review of physiological aging processes affecting spinal structures.
• Analysis of cellular and systemic changes contributing to spinal senescence.
• Examination of factors influencing the manifestation of degenerative spinal lesions.

Main Results:

• Spinal aging involves connective tissues, bone, muscle, vascular, and neural components.
• Neurological abnormalities in the brain also impact vertebral column function.
• Altered mechanical behavior includes osteoporosis, fractures, disc rupture, and spondylolisthesis.

Conclusions:

• Spinal senescence is a complex, multisystem process affecting all spinal components.
• Degenerative spinal changes manifest variably due to genetic, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors.
• A broader understanding of spinal aging is needed, moving beyond 'degenerative disc disease'.