Age Changes of Human Vertebral •column, Anatomical and Radiological Study

Abstract

This work tries to display some of the structural changes in the Upper Egyptian vertebral colwnn which may appear in the course of life and may lead to functional alterations and their relation to the presence or absence of complaint. The lumbar region is taken as an example, and plain X-ray and computerized tomography scanning (CT) are used as method of investigation. A group of ninety symptomatized patients ranging from the age of 10-

70 ys is compared with another group of fifty unsymptomatized cases of I the same age range as regards the following observations and their relation to age: -Bone density.

- Alignment of vertebrae.

- The presence of sacralization or lumbarization.

- Disc space height.

- Vertebral body shape.

- The presence of vertebral body osteophytes.

- The appearance of vertebral appendages.

- The appearance of sacroiliac joints.

•- Abnormal paravertebral soft tissue shadow.

- Boundaries of vertebrae.

- The appearance of facet joints.

- Vacuum phenomenon.