Aging in the lumber spine. III. L5

The fifth lumbar vertebra, like the other units of the lumbar spine, shows a significant trend toward lowering and broadening of the body with age. In most individuals the pedicales of L5 arise from the lateral surface of the body, rather than posteriorly as in the other lumbar vertebrae, and the increase in body breadth is very often associated with the formation of reinforcing columns of bone between the bases of the pedicles and osteophytes bordering the inferior endplate. In L5 midbody breadth shows a greater gain than endplate breadths, so "flaring" is decreased with age, a change that is statistically significant in Black males and White females. This vertebra shows no significant change in endplate biconcavity or posterior wedging with age.