Intervertebral disc disorganization is related to trabecular bone architecture in the lumbar spine

Cancellous bone morphometry was investigated in the sagittal plane of lumba r vertebrae using histoquantitation, The aim of this study was to identify variations in cancellous bone architecture at increasing states of interver tebral disc (IVD) disorganization after age adjustment and to investigate r egional variations within the whole vertebral body. Measurements were taken of the ratio of bone volume (BV) to total volume (TV), trabecular thicknes s (Tb,Th), trabecular separation (Tb,Sp), and trabecular number (Tb.N), Lum bar spines (T12-L5) of 19 men and 8 women were removed at autopsy from an a dult sample with no clinical history of bone-related disease or histologica lly identifiable bone disease. It was found that degeneration of the IVD be comes more common with increasing age. After age-adjustment, significant in creases in the proportion of BV/TV were observed in the presence of advanci ng IVD disorganization. Significant architectural changes were observed in the anterior regions of the vertebral body with increases in Tb.Th and Tb.N and decreases in Tb.Sp, Minimal alterations were found at posterior region s. Bone loss was observed in central regions (most distant from the cortex) as IVD disorganization increased through reduction in both Tb.N and Tb.Th, The BV/TV increase in anterior areas of the centrum may be a response to a redistribution of load to the vertebral body periphery as a result of IVD disorganization. It appears that trabecular morphology is related to the co ndition of the associated IVD, rather than being the sole consequence of a loss of BV/TV with age. This relationship could influence the occurrence of vertebral body crush fracture.