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Related Experiment Videos

Age changes in lumbar intervertebral discs.

L Twomey, J Taylor

    Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica
    |December 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Lumbar spine disc height increases with age due to discs sinking into vertebrae. While disc degeneration incidence rises in older age, most examined discs showed no degeneration.

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    Area of Science:

    • Anatomy
    • Gerontology
    • Orthopedics

    Background:

    • Aging affects spinal structures, including intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
    • Previous research suggests vertebral bone changes contribute to age-related spinal morphology alterations.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate age-related changes in lumbar disc thickness, shape, and degeneration.
    • To correlate disc changes with vertebral morphology in elderly individuals.

    Main Methods:

    • Post-mortem examination of 204 lumbar spines.
    • Measurement of disc thickness and shape using Rolander's criteria (1966).
    • Assessment of disc degeneration incidence.

    Main Results:

    • The "true average disc height" demonstrated an increase with age, indicating discs "sink" into vertebral bodies.
    • Loss of transverse trabeculae in lumbar vertebrae was identified as a primary factor in age-related changes to vertebrae and discs.
    • Despite an increased incidence of disc degeneration in old age, the majority of examined discs did not exhibit degeneration.

    Conclusions:

    • Disc height changes with age are influenced by vertebral morphology, specifically the loss of trabeculae.
    • Disc degeneration, while more common in the elderly, is not universally present in aged lumbar spines.

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