What causes DDD?
Degenerative disc disease isn’t actually a disease, but rather a condition in which a damaged disc causes pain. This pain can range from nagging to disabling. The condition can be caused by the drying out of the disc over time, daily activities, sports and injuries.
What is the size of disc in spine?
Mean disc height in the lower lumbar segments was 11.6 +/- 1.8 mm for the L3/4 disc, 11.3 +/- 2.1 mm for the L4/5, and 10.7 +/- 2.1 mm for the L5/S1 level. The average circumference of the lower endplate of the fourth lumbar vertebra was 141 mm and the average surface area was 1,492 mm2.
What causes loss of intervertebral disc height?
Disc degeneration is a normal part of aging, and usually is not a problem. However, DDD can cause discs to lose height and become stiff. When disc height is lost, nerve impingement, bone and joint inflammation, and resultant pain can occur.
What is an L6 vertebrae called?
Function of the L6 vertebra This extra vertebra, known as the L6, is called a transitional vertebra. About 10 percent of adults have some form of spinal abnormality caused by genetics and a sixth lumbar vertebra is among the most common of these abnormalities.
Can a L4-L5 disc cause lower back pain?
Mostly L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs are affected in the condition. Lower back stiffness with mild radiation of the pain on sides is the main symptom of this condition. This is a condition where water content of the disc starts reducing. When disc dehydrate, the jelly inside the spine starts weakening.
What happens to spinal cord below the L2 vertebrae?
L2 is the lowest vertebral segment that contains spinal cord tissue. After that point, nerve roots exit each of the remaining lumbar levels beyond the spinal cord. Injuries below this level (at the L3, L4, and L5 vertebrae) affect the hips and legs and may cause numbness extending to the feet (sciatica).
What happens to the intervertebral discs as you age?
Lumbar (low back) degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a common condition in aging adults. The intervertebral discs serve as the spine’s shock absorbers and, as we age, discs gradually dry out, losing strength and resiliency. In most people, these changes are gradual.
What are the dimensions of the fourth lumbar vertebrae?
The average circumference of the lower endplate of the fourth lumbar vertebra was 141 mm and the average surface area was 1,492 mm2. An increasing pedicle width from a mean of 9.6 +/- 2.2 mm at L3 through to 16.2 +/- 2.8 mm at L5 was noted.