Alignment considerations in degenerative spinal conditions: A narrative review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Spine Surgery
• Degenerative Spinal Conditions
• Spinal Alignment and Biomechanics

Background:

• Aging populations are experiencing increased burdens from degenerative spinal diseases.
• Spinal alignment in adult spinal deformities is a critical area of clinical research.
• Degenerative spinal conditions significantly impact patient health and healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current considerations in spinal alignment for degenerative spinal conditions.
• To discuss morphological assessment strategies for spinal deformities.
• To identify future research directions in spinal alignment and degenerative disease.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a narrative review of recent literature.
• Focused on spinal alignment within degenerative spinal conditions.
• Examined morphological assessment techniques and future research avenues.

Main Results:

• Degenerative spinal conditions cause complex disruptions in spinal alignment.
• Spino-pelvic alignment and compensatory mechanisms are crucial in spinal deformities.
• Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and epigenetics show promise for patient care.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic and individualized assessments are vital for understanding spinal alignment in degenerative diseases.
• Future research must combine emerging technologies with clinical practices.
• Optimizing patient outcomes and minimizing complications require integrated approaches to degenerative spinal disease management.