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Spinal Conditions

Spinal Conditions Terms and Definitions

Arthritis
Inflammation in a joint, resulting in pain, swelling, and limited movement.
Arthropathy
A disease or disorder of the joint.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
Yes. This is another answer.
Comminuted Fracture
A fracture in which a bone is broken into more than two pieces. Internal or external fixation devices are often used to maintain proper alignment of the fragments.
Compression Fracture of the Spine
A fracture of the vertebrae in which a vertebra is compressed due to trauma. Compression fractures can occur anywhere in the spine, but are most common in the mid-lower back.
Compression
The loss of vertebral body height either anteriorly, posteriorly, or both.
Congenital
Present or existing from the time of birth.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a term referring to the normal changes and weakness in the intervertebral discs as the body ages. DDD is not actually a disease, but, nonetheless, can cause chronic pain and affect quality of life.
Foraminal Stenosis
Narrowing of the foramen in the spine, resulting in pinched nerves than cause sensations of pain, numbness, burning, and/or tingling in other parts of the body.
Herniated Disc
Extrusion of part of the inner core of the vertebral disc (the nucleus pulposus) through a defect in the disc’s outer wall (annulus fibrosus).
Kyphosis
An excessive curvature of the thoracic spine. It can result in a hunchback posture, and is most common in older women and is often associated with osteoporosis.
Lordosis
Excessive inward curvature of the spine. It usually presents in the lower back (sway-back), but can be in the neck as well.
Lumbar Spondylolysis
See Pars Inter-Articularis Injury.
Myelopathy
Loss of nerve function due to disorders of the spine.
Osteoporosis
A disorder in which bones are abnormally weak and brittle due to loss of bone density and thinning bone tissue.
Pars Inter-Articularis Injury
A stress fracture or weakness of the pars inter-articularis, the bony segment that connects the facet joints between vertebrae. Sometimes called Lumbar Spondylolysis, this condition is most often an athletic injury and is common in adolescents.
Pelvic Obliquity
Condition in which one side of the pelvis is higher than the other.
Post-Laminectomy Syndrome
Persistent back pain following laminectomy, a surgery to remove part of a vertebra that protects the spinal cord.
Radiculopathy
Commonly referred to as a pinched nerve. Weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and/or burning sensations caused by pressure on a nerve in the spine.
Ruptured Disc
See Herniated Disc.
Sacroilitis
Inflammation in the sacroiliac (SI) joints where the upper and lower body meets.
Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain
Pain originating from the sacroiliac (SI) joint, but can present itself from the lower back down to the legs and feet.
Sciatica
A common term for lumbar radiculopathy. A condition in which compressed or irritated nerve roots along the sciatic nerve in the lower back cause pain, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness in the back of the hip, down the back of the thigh, and below the knee.
Scoliosis
A musculoskeletal disorder causing a sideways curvature of the spine.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the spinal column, typically caused by age and degeneration of the intervertebral discs and facet joints.
Spondylitis
Inflammation of the vertebrae.
Spondylolisthesis
A condition in which a vertebra slips forward. This condition cause back pain, leg pain, and other symptoms.
Spondylosis
Change in the structure of the vertebrae and spine.
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