Degeneration of the spine should be distinguished from normal aging of the spine. Normal aging retains the biomechanical and biochemical functions of the spine, whereas degeneration does not. The claim that disc degeneration begins in the first decade of life…
The spines of older individuals have both the changes of normal aging and the changes of “degeneration.” In the absence of accepted criteria to distinguish aging and degeneration, the features that characterize the majority of individuals at a specified age…
I. THE SPINAL CORD The spinal cord is the segment of the central nervous system that lies within the spinal canal caudal to the foramen magnum ( Figs. 5-1 to 5-3 ). The top of the spinal cord is taken…
The spinal column consists of multiple segmented osseous vertebrae, the intervertebral discs interposed between these segments, and the ligaments and joints that bind the segments together. The spine has 32 to 35 vertebral segments, traditionally considered as 7 cervical, 12…
The spinal column consists of multiple segmented osseous vertebrae, the intervertebral discs interposed between these segments, and the ligaments and joints that bind the segments together. The spine has 32 to 35 vertebral segments, traditionally considered as 7 cervical, 12…