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Related Experiment Videos

Age changes in lumbar vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

L T Twomey1, J R Taylor

  • 1School of Physiotherapy, Western Australian Institute of Technology, Shenton Park.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|November 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Aging adults lose height due to vertebral bone loss, not reduced disc height. This study found spinal stature decreases with age, but intervertebral discs do not typically thin.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Orthopedics
  • Anatomy

Background:

  • Stature reduction in older adults is commonly attributed to decreased intervertebral disc height.
  • Previous research suggests disc thinning contributes to height loss in the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between aging, vertebral bone density, intervertebral disc height, and overall spinal stature.
  • To determine the primary cause of height reduction in the elderly population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional measurement study was conducted on 204 cadaveric lumbar spines.
  • Subjects ranged in age from neonates to 97 years.
  • Measurements included vertebral and intervertebral disc dimensions, and bone density assessments.

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Main Results:

  • While spinal stature decreased with age, a significant loss of intervertebral disc height was not observed in the majority of the aging population.
  • Aging is associated with increased vertebral end-plate concavity and decreased bone density, particularly in females.
  • Degenerative changes in intervertebral discs were minimal and not the primary cause of height loss.

Conclusions:

  • Loss of stature in old age is primarily due to a reduction in vertebral body height, not a decrease in intervertebral disc height.
  • Age-related bone density loss and changes in vertebral end-plate morphology are key factors in stature reduction.
  • The common belief that discs thin significantly with age is not supported by these findings.