Vernon-Roberts B, Pirie C J
Rheumatol Rehabil. 1977 Feb;16(1):13-21. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/16.1.13.
Careful pathological examination of lumbar spines removed at autopsy has shown that degenerative changes are present in the intervertebral discs of all subjects by middle age. The degenerative changes are more marked and occur at an earlier age when evidence of vertical or posterior disc prolapse is also present. Degenerative changes in the discs are always accompanied by osteophyte formation on the margins of the vertebral bodies and remodelling changes in the apophyseal joints. There is a direct relationship between the degree of disc degeneration, marginal osteophyte formation on vertebral bodies, and apophyseal joint changes, which suggests that disc degeneration is the primary event leading to the clinical condition of 'degenerative spondylosis'.
对尸检时摘除的腰椎进行仔细的病理检查表明，到中年时，所有受试者的椎间盘均出现退变改变。当存在椎间盘垂直或后侧突出的证据时，退变改变更为明显且发生年龄更早。椎间盘的退变改变总是伴随着椎体边缘骨赘形成以及关节突关节的重塑改变。椎间盘退变程度、椎体边缘骨赘形成与关节突关节改变之间存在直接关系，这表明椎间盘退变是导致“退行性脊椎病”临床状况的主要事件。
