Intervertebral disc disease
Dernière mise à jour 16 Mar 2026
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Intervertebral disc disease is a common condition characterised by the breakdown (degeneration) of one or more of the discs that separate the bones of the spine (vertebrae), causing pain in the back or neck and frequently in the legs and arms. The intervertebral discs provide cushioning between vertebrae and absorb pressure put on the spine.
Description
Intervertebral disc disease is a common condition characterised by the breakdown (degeneration) of one or more of the discs that separate the bones of the spine (vertebrae), causing pain in the back or neck and frequently in the legs and arms. The intervertebral discs provide cushioning between vertebrae and absorb pressure put on the spine.
While the discs in the lower (lumbar) region of the spine are most often affected in intervertebral disc disease, any part of the spine can have disc degeneration. Depending on the location of the affected disc or discs, intervertebral disc disease can cause periodic or chronic pain in the back or neck. Pain is often worse when sitting, bending, twisting, or lifting objects.
Degenerated discs are prone to out-pouching (herniation); the protruding disc can press against one of the spinal nerves that run from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. This pressure causes pain, weakness, and numbness in the back and legs. Herniated discs often cause nerve pain called sciatica that travels along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the length of each leg.
As a disc degenerates, small bony outgrowths (bone spurs) may form at the edges of the affected vertebrae. These bone spurs may pinch (compress) the spinal nerves, leading to weakness or numbness in the arms or legs. If the bone spurs compress the spinal cord, affected individuals can develop problems with walking and bladder and bowel control. Over time, a degenerating disc may break down completely and leave no space between vertebrae, which can result in impaired movement, pain, and nerve damage.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Pattern unknown. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Discogenic disease
Discogenic disorder
Disorder of intervertebral disc
IDD
Intervertebral disc degeneration
Intervertebral disc disorder
Intervertebral disk degeneration
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Problèmes de disques vertébraux
Spinal discs are also called intervertebral discs. There is a spinal disc between each bone (vertebra) in your spine. This keeps the vertebrae separated and acts as a shock absorber. As we get older le spinal discs gradually become damaged and this can cause problems such as back pain. Other problems affecting the spinal discs include a slipped.
Patient information leaflet
Hernie discale
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Lectures complémentaires et références
- Intervertebral disc disease; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Feng Y, Egan B, Wang J. Genetic Factors in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Genes Dis. 2016 Sep;3(3):178-185. doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2016.04.005. Epub 2016 Apr 23.
- Hanaei S, Abdollahzade S, Khoshnevisan A, Kepler CK, Rezaei N. Genetic aspects of intervertebral disc degeneration. Rev Neurosci. 2015;26(5):581-606. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2014-0077.
- Ikegawa S. The genetics of common degenerative skeletal disorders: osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet. 2013;14:245-56. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genom-091212-153427.
- Janeczko L, Janeczko M, Chrzanowski R, Zielinski G. The role of polymorphisms of genes encoding collagen IX and XI in lumbar disc disease. Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2014 Jan-Feb;48(1):60-2. doi: 10.1016/j.pjnns.2013.04.001. Epub 2014 Jan 23.
- Kalb S, Martirosyan NL, Kalani MY, Broc GG, Theodore N. Genetics of the degenerated intervertebral disc. World Neurosurg. 2012 Mar-Apr;77(3-4):491-501. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.07.014. Epub 2011 Nov 7.
- Kepler CK, Ponnappan RK, Tannoury CA, Risbud MV, Anderson DG. The molecular basis of intervertebral disc degeneration. Spine J. 2013 Mar;13(3):318-30. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2012.12.003. Epub 2013 Feb 8.
- Toktas ZO, Eksi MS, Yilmaz B, Demir MK, Ozgen S, Kilic T, Konya D. Association of collagen I, IX and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with radiological severity of intervertebral disc degeneration in Southern European Ancestor. Eur Spine J. 2015 Nov;24(11):2432-41. doi: 10.1007/s00586-015-4206-5. Epub 2015 Sep 5.
- Zhang Y, Sun Z, Liu J, Guo X. Advances in susceptibility genetics of intervertebral degenerative disc disease. Int J Biol Sci. 2008 Sep 2;4(5):283-90. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.4.283.
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