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Spondylosis is also known as spinal osteoarthritis. It is common and usually not serious, although it can be quite painful. It can affect any region of the spine. Spondylosis can affect the spine's intervertebral discs, eg, degenerative disc disease and facet joints.

Most believe it is due to a genetic weakness of the pars interarticularis. Both spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis can be present at birth or occur through injury.Repeated stress fractures caused by hyperextension of the back (as in gymnastics and football) and traumatic fractures are also causes.

Symptoms may result from the disorder causing fibrosis or, once fibrosis progresses to cirrhosis, from complications of portal hypertension. These symptoms include jaundice, variceal bleeding, ascites, and portosystemic encephalopathy. Cirrhosis can result in hepatic insufficiency and potentially fatal liver failure.

Cervical and lumbar spine spondylosis refers to spine degeneration in the neck and lower back, respectively. Spine degeneration is a natural part of the aging process that is most common in the flexible and strong neck and lower back.

Vertigo is associated with advanced degenerative changes in patients with cervicalspondylosis. Since vascular risk factors that predispose to vertebrobasilar ischemia are common findings in elderly, cervical spondylosis-which is also common in such age group-as a cause of vertigo is sometimes considered as a myth.

Spondylitis is inflammation of one or more vertebrae, such as in ankylosingspondylitis, an inflammatory form of arthritis of the spine. This is a very different process than spondylosis because spondylosis is degenerative while spondylitisis inflammatory.