Degenerative diseases of the spine are conditions associated with the aging process. With the recent developments in medicine and the progress of diagnosis and treatment methods for diseases, there has been an increase in the elderly population in the society and there has been an increase in degenerative diseases of the spine associated with senility. In connection with this, studies on the treatment of degenerative diseases of the spine are increasing rapidly. As age progresses, the disc tissue between the vertebrae begins to age and the amount of fluid in it begins to decrease. With the degeneration of the disc tissue between the vertebrae, the degeneration (deterioration and aging) process in the spine begins.
After the deterioration of the disc structure, degenerations in the joints between the vertebrae and loosening of the joint capsules occur. The first situations we encounter in the process of disc degeneration are tears and disc herniations in the annulus fibrosus tissue, which forms the outer part of the disc tissue. Degenerative disc disease progresses with the progression of annular tears and deterioration in the internal structure of the disc. It is a painful condition. Disc herniations (lumbar herniation) may occur as a result of degeneration of disc tissue; However, disc herniations differ from degenerative disc disease in terms of diagnosis and treatment. If this degenerative process progresses, we may encounter spinal cord narrowing (spinal stenosis), slippage of the vertebrae (spondylolisthesis) and degenerative scoliosis.
The aforementioned degenerative diseases of the spine usually progress after middle age (after 50-55 years) and are a very painful process. The reason that leads patients to surgery is that the patient’s pain does not go away and progresses despite non-surgical treatments (such as drug therapy, physical therapy, epidural steroid applications). This situation negatively affects the quality of life of patients. Along with the increase in pain, the pathologies (slipping, scoliosis and canal stenosis) found in the spine of the patients generally progress radiologically.
In degenerative diseases of the spine, each patient is evaluated separately and the risks and surgical benefits are discussed in detail with the patients and their relatives at the surgical decision stage. With the effective surgical treatments to be applied as a result of decision-making, it will be observed that the patients’ pain will decrease and their quality of life will increase.
