Dr David McGrath

Spine Physician

MB BS (Hons) FAFOM, RACP, FAFMM
Master of Pain Medicine

Degenerative Disease

Degeneration is loss of normal structure or architecture. Usually it denotes, an unknown cause or aging.
There are many examples, corresponding to virtually every tissue in the body
1. Cartilage degeneration (osteoarthritis)
2. Macular degeneration (retinal blindness )
3. Vascular degeneration (atherosclerosis or arteiosclerosis)
4. Neural degeneration (multiple scelosis, demetia plus others)
5. Bone degeneration (osteoporosis,osteomalacea)
6. Skin degeneration (skin atrophy)
7. Spinal degeneration (spondylosis)

8. Connective Tissue degeneration (myxoid )

All forms of degeneration imply loss of normal function, with an added risk of injury, or the prospect of further degeneration.

1. Cartilage can split
2. Blood vessals can dissect (eg dissecting aneurism)
3. Bones can fracture
4. Skin can bruise and lacerate
5. Discs can prolapse

6. Demetia can lead to accident and death
7. Damaged neural tissue can lead to loss of coordination and accident
8. Retina's can detach, lenses can dislocate

Thus there are two issues, when degeneration is diagnosed.

1. Are there on-going causes which need addressing ?

2. How large is the functional loss, and prospect of damage to the weakened structure ?

(to be continued)