Degenerative condition of spine

**Definition:** This is a disease characterised by degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc, vertebral end-plates and spinal joints due to aging or structural change.

**Long definition:** Mechanical, traumatic, nutritional, and genetic factors all play a role in the cascade of disk degeneration. Reliable and reproducible terminology is critical to meaningful description of morphologic abnormalities. The etiology of pain in degenerative disease is more complex than a simple mechanical explanation. The prognostic value of imaging is confounded by the high prevalence of morphologic changes in the asymptomatic population. In patients with uncomplicated low back pain or radiculopathy, MR imaging may not have an additive value over clinical assessment.