title: Degenerative disorders of the spine.
abstract: Patients with back pain and degenerative disorders of the spine have a significant impact on health care costs. Some authors estimate that up to 80% of all adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Disk herniation represents one of the most frequent causes. Nevertheless, other degenerative diseases have to be considered. In this paper, pathology and imaging of degenerative spine diseases will be discussed, starting from pathophysiology of normal age-related changes of the intervertebral disk and vertebral body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of L'Aquila, Via L. Natali, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy. massimo.gallucci@cc.univaq.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallucci
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puglielli
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Splendiani
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pistoia
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spacca
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed