The effect of disc degeneration and facet joint osteoarthritis on the segmental flexibility of the lumbar spine.

A biomechanical and imaging study by Fujiwara A et al (spine, 2005) of human cadaveric spinal motion segments reveal that:
1. Axial rotational motion was most affected by disc degeneration, and the effects of disc degeneration on the motion were similar between genders.
2. Facet joint osteoarthritis also affected segmental motion, and the influence differed for male and female spines. With cartilage degeneration of the facet joints, the axial rotational motion increased, whereas the lateral bending and flexion motion decreased in female segments.

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