Spondylosis deformans is a disease of the spine in humans and other vertebrates. It occurs when
intervertebral discs begin to degenerate, leading to the formation of bony spurs or bridges around the disc and nearby spinal joints. Severe cases can result in pressure on the spinal nerves, causing neurological signs and symptoms.
[Newton, C. D. and Nunamaker, D. M]
Chapter 61: "Spondylosis Deformans"
''Textbook of Small Animal Orthopaedics''. J. B. Lippincott Company. 1985. Other terms for the disease have included spondylitis, but this is incorrect because it implies that the condition is
inflammatory in nature, like
ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis characterized by long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine typically where the spine joins the pelvis. Occasionally areas affected may include other joints such as the shoulders or hi ...
.
[
The condition is likely triggered by changes in the anulus fibrosus, the tough outer ring of the intervertebral disc. This disc degeneration causes ]osteophyte
Osteophytes are exostoses (bony projections) that form along joint margins. They should not be confused with enthesophytes, which are bony projections that form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament. Osteophytes are not always distinguished ...
s to grow in the area. The osteophytes develop bridges of connective tissue which become ossified, forming bone spurs. The pattern of osteophyte formation varies. The exact pathophysiology of the process is unclear.[
]
References
{{Medicine, state=collapsed
Skeletal disorders