What is spondylosis?

Spondylosis refers to the degeneration of the intervertebral discs and the surrounding spinal structures, which is a common condition as people age. This degeneration can lead to the loss of disc height and the development of bone spurs or osteophytes, which may cause stiffness, pain, or nerve compression. The overall effect of spondylosis can result in reduced mobility of the spine and can contribute to other spinal conditions such as spinal stenosis or herniated discs.

The other options represent different spinal conditions: a fracture involves a break in the vertebrae; forward slipping of one vertebra, known as spondylolisthesis, refers to a specific alignment issue; and backward displacement corresponds to retrolisthesis. Each of these conditions differs fundamentally from spondylosis, which is primarily focused on the degeneration of the intervertebral discs.