Acquired Degenerative Changes of the Intervertebral Segments at and Supradjacent to the Lumbosacral Junction

Abstract

In earlier evolutionary times, mammals were primarily quadrupeds, although other bipeds have been represented during the course of the Earth's several billion-year history. In many cases, either the bipedal stance yielded a large tail and hypoplastic upper extremities (e.g., Tyrannosaurus rex, the kangaroo), or it culminated in hypoplasia of the tail and further development and specialization of the upper extremities (e.g., nonhuman primates and human beings). In the human species this relatively recently acquired posture resulted in a more or less pronounced lumbosacral lordosis. In turn, certain compensatory anatomic features have since occurred. These include the normal characteristic posteriorly directed wedge-shape of the L5 vertebral body and the L5-S1 intervertebral disc; the L4 vertebral body and the L4-L5 and L3-4 disc may be similarly visibly affected.

These compensatory mechanisms, however, have proved to be functionally inadequate over the present long-term of the human life span. Upright posture leads to increased weight bearing in humans that progressively causes excess stresses at and suprajacent to the lumbosacral junction. These combined factors result in accelerated aging and degenerative changes and a predisposition to frank biomechanical failure of the subcomponents of the spinal column in these spinal segments.

One other specific problem that occurs at the lumbosacral junction that predisposes toward premature degeneration is the singular relationship that exists between a normally mobile segment of spine (i.e., the lumbar spine), and a normally immobile one (i.e., the sacrum). It is well known that mobile spinal segments adjacent to congenitally or acquired fused segments have a predilection toward accelerated degenerative changes. The only segment of the spine in which this is invariably normally true is at the lumbosacral junction (i.e., the unfused lumbar spine adjoining the fused sacrum).

Nevertheless, biomechanical failures of the human spine are not lethal traits; in most cases today, mankind reaches sexual maturity before spinal biomechanical failure precludes sexual reproduction. For this gene-preserving reason, degenerative spinal disorders will likely be a part of modern societies for the foreseeable eternity of the race.

The detailed alterations accruing from the interrelated consequences of and phenomena contributing to acquired degenerative changes of the lumbosacral intervertebral segments as detailed in this discussion highlight the extraordinary problems that are associated with degenerative disease in this region of the spine. Further clinicoradiologic research in this area will progressively determine the clinical applications and clinical efficacy of the various traditional and newer methods of therapy in patients presenting with symptomatic acquired collapse of the intervertebral discs at and suprajacent to the lumbosacral junction and the interrelated degenerative alterations of the nondiscal structures of the spine.