The cartilage between the vertebrae and disc wears down and affects the spine’s motion.Repetitive movements or frequent stress on the spine which causes tears in the cartilage between the discs and can damage the spinal vertebrae.This is an age-related condition in which the cartilage within the joints at the ends of each bone, gradually wears away. The most common cause is osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. There are two facet joints between each vertebrae which provide motion, spinal stability, and prevent certain harmful motions. Facet Joint Osteophytes: Bone spurs that develop surrounding the facet joints, which help connect two adjacent vertebrae together.Foraminal disc osteophyte complex: Bone spurs that develop in the foramen – the hollow archways on both sides of two adjacent vertebra, through which the spinal nerve roots run.Multilevel endplate osteophytes: Bone spurs that develop at both the top and bottom endplates, thereby affecting more than one vertebra or vertebral disc.Endplate osteophytes: Bone spurs that develop at the top or bottom edges of the vertebrae where they interact with the disc.Posterior osteophytes: Bone spurs that develop at the back of the spine.Anterior osteophytes: Bone spurs that develop at the front of the spine.Bridging osteophytes: The formation of a bony bridge between two vertebrae with bone spurs.Disc Osteophyte Complex (DOC): this term is used to describe an ambiguous pathology, when it is unclear based in an MR imaging whether a patient is suffering from endplate osteophytes, a protruding disc, thickened ligaments, or multiple conditions.Types of Bone Spur by Portion of the Spine Affected Non-marginal syndesmophytes refer to ligament hardening beyond the edges of the vertebral margin while marginal syndesmophytes develop along the edges of the vertebrae.īone spurs can also occur in other areas of the body such as the: Feet, Shoulders/ Rotator cuff, Knees, Heels, Ankles, Elbows, Wrists, Hands, Hip, and Shins. This can result in “ bamboo spine” which means the adjacent vertebrae are fused together forming one cohesive unit. Osteophytes also differ from syndesmophyte which result from the calcification or hardening inside the ligaments running parallel to the spine. Enthesophytes can be caused by tendonitis, ligament tearing, inflammation of the attachment point of tendons or ligaments, or degenerative arthritis. Osteophytes differ from enthesophytes, which are bony hook like projections that develop at the ends of ligaments (which connect bones together) or tendons (which connect muscles to bones). The aim of treatment is to decrease inflammation, decompress nerves, and reduce symptoms. Typically, bone spurs are only treated if they are causing symptoms. Bone spurs are usually detected using imaging techniques such as an X-ray or an MRI. If they do put pressure on a nerve in the spine you may experience pain, tingling, stiffness, numbness, and weakness in the affected area. It does this by catalyzing bone growth through either ossification (if the stimuli affects a bone) or calcification (if the stimuli affects a tendon or ligament).īone damage or irritation can be caused by osteoarthritis (deterioration of the cartilage between bones which causes them to rub together), trauma, thinning or degenerative discs, ligament inflammation or tearing, and spinal stenosis, among other conditions. Bone spurs may or may not cause symptoms, this will largely depend on where they are located and the extent of their growth. When bones, ligaments, or tendons in the spine are damaged or irritated the body can respond by trying to repair the affected area. Bone spurs, also called osteophytes, are bony outgrowths that can form on the spine and around or within joints.
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