Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a serious, polio-like illness that affects the spinal cord.

Adjacent segment disease (ASD) is a spinal disorder that may develop after spinal fusion (e.g., instrumentation, bone graft).

Adult scoliosis occurs when the spine curves abnormally to the left or right.

Ankylosing spondylitis is also known as Marie-Strumpell disease or Bechterew’s disease. It’s a form of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects your spine.

Arachnoiditis is a debilitating condition characterized by severe stinging and burning pain and neurologic problems.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) develops when a bone loses its blood supply.

For our veteran population, spine impairment can be a leading cause of disability.

Sometimes, being able to spot the differences in something is not only elusive to lay people, but to professionals as well.

Burners and stingers are injuries that occur when nerves in the neck and shoulder are stretched or compressed after an impact.

A burst fracture is a descriptive term for an injury to the spine in which the vertebral body is severely compressed.

Although leg pain is common and usually goes away without surgery, cauda equina syndrome, a rare disorder affecting the bundle of nerve roots (cauda equina) at the lower (lumbar) end of the spinal cord, is a surgical emergency.

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a rare but serious low back disorder that requires immediate medical attention. 

Chiari malformation is a condition that causes brain tissue to settle into the spinal canal.

Tailbone pain can make sitting and leaning back very uncomfortable. But on the bright side, most people with tailbone pain respond very well to conservative treatment.

Congenital scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that is caused by a defect that was present at birth.

Sooner or later, your spinal discs – the shock absorbing pads between each vertebra – start to wear out. That can lead to degenerative disc disease (DDD).

As part of the normal aging process, progressive changes develop in the discs that cushion each vertebra.

If the disc herniates near the spinal canal, the nucleus can squeeze out and put pressure on the spinal canal or nerve, causing symptoms that radiate away from the herniation.

Like any part of the body, the spine can become infected. Although spinal infections are uncommon, when they occur, they can be devastating.

Drop foot and foot drop are interchangeable terms that describe an abnormal neuromuscular (nerve and muscle) disorder that affects the patient's ability to raise their foot at the ankle.

These joints can become unstable and painful for several reasons—and one cause is a rare genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

Tumors of the spine, their treatment and prognosis are varied.

While the disc functions as a shock absorber, the right and left facet joints are gliding joints, which allow motions such as bending and twisting.

Whether immediately or months after your procedure, pain and other symptoms may return—a phenomenon known as failed back surgery (FBS).

Every illness has its own unique set of challenges, but there’s something about an “invisible illness” that has even more hurdles.

‘Sagittal’ is a medical term associated with the Sagittal Plane, which refers to the appearance of the spine when viewed from the side.

Flatback syndrome was initially described in a series of patients who had been treated with Harrington spinal instrumentation.

A herniated disk is a condition that can occur anywhere along the spine, but most often occurs in the lower back.

Follow the link to view an animation of herniation in a vertebral disk.

Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve sideways. There are several different types of scoliosis that affect children and adolescents.

This article provides answers to questions parents and their children often have when first diagnosed with scoliosis, including information about causes, screenings and current research.

Baastrup’s sign is known by other names including, Baastrup’s syndrome, Baastrup’s disease, Kissing spine syndrome or interspinous bursitis.

Kyphosis is a spinal disorder in which an excessive outward curve of the spine results in an abnormal rounding of the upper back.

Even though hyperkyphosis is the term for an abnormal curve, doctors tend to use "kyphosis” for both normal and abnormal curvature.

Nerves are fragile and can be damaged by pressure, stretching, or cutting.

Spinal disorders or injuries that cause nerve compression or damage may cause Neurogenic Bladder Disorder (NBD); also termed Bladder Dysfunction.

Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve sideways. Neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) is a type of scoliosis that can occur in children who have medical conditions that impair their ability to control the muscles that support the spine. 

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is the leading cause of disability in older adults and may affect as many as 27 million Americans.

Osteopenia is the thinning of bone mass. While this decrease in bone mass is not usually considered "severe," it is considered a very serious risk factor for the development of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in the United States and developed countries.

Fractures caused by osteoporosis most often occur in the spine.

Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss associated with an increased risk of fractures. The term osteoporosis literally means porous bone.

More than 12 million Americans over age 50 have osteoporosis and over 50 million more have low bone density (osteopenia), putting them at risk for osteoporosis.

Paget’s disease, also known as osteitis deformans, is the second most common bone disorder in the United States (behind osteoporosis).

Spinal tumors, also called neoplasms, are abnormal growths of tissue found inside the spinal column.

Pinched spinal nerves can develop suddenly or gradually. Sudden compression usually occurs in the setting of an acute joint problem called a “herniated disc,” also discussed in more detail elsewhere.

“Arthritis” is an umbrella term used to explain inflammation, joint pain and joint disease in one or more joints. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, and RA is the second-most common.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction is a common cause of low back pain.

An alteration in scapular positioning or motion can make it difficult to move your arm, especially when performing overhead activities, and may cause your shoulder to feel weak.

One particular type of kyphosis is Scheuermann’s kyphosis, also known as Scheuermann’s disease.

Sciatica may feel like a bad leg cramp, with pain that is sharp ("knife-like"), or electrical. The cramp can last for weeks before it goes away.

When low back pain radiates through the buttocks and down the leg, the symptoms are known as sciatica.

There are many causes of scoliosis, but AIS is the most common.

Scoliosis is a medical term taken from a Greek word meaning curvature. This disorder may develop during childhood, and it causes the spine to curve to the left or right side.

Children with scoliosis and their parents have a lot of questions about the condition. In this series of four articles, orthopaedic surgeons from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Scoliosis Research Society answer some of the questions they most commonly hear from patients and their parents.

The sacroiliac (SI) joint can be a source of back pain for many patients. The joint is composed of the sacrum (bottom portion of the spine) and the iliac crest (part of your pelvis).

Costal chondritis, costochondritis and Tietze syndrome are sometimes used interchangeably and characterized by inflammation of the part of the rib that is cartilage.

Spina bifida is a neural tube defect resulting in mild to severe disabilities, depending on where the unprotected portion of the spinal cord is and how much is exposed.

Spinal fractures occur when an injury is sustained to the spine resulting in a break or disruption of the spinal vertebrae or the attached ligaments.

Spondylolisthesis commonly occurs in the lower back, which bears more weight and frequently experiences more twisting.

Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the vertebra below it.

The spine is made up of a series of connected bones called "vertebrae." In about 5% of the adult population, there is a developmental crack in one of the vertebrae, usually at the point at which the lower (lumbar) part of the spine joins the tailbone (sacrum).

Technically, spondylosis is a form of arthritis—spinal osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis) to be exact.

Although not common, back and neck injuries can occur in young athletes who participate in sports.

A back sprain or strain can occur when you lift too much weight, play a strenuous sport, or even bend or twist improperly during the course of a regular day.

The spine is a long, hollow tube that has multiple openings to allow for the passage of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Over time, bone, ligaments, and discs can constrict the canal.

Syringomyelia is a progressive disorder in which a fluid-filled cyst, or syrinx, forms within the spinal cord.

Tailbone pain can make sitting and leaning back very uncomfortable. But on the bright side, most people with tailbone pain respond very well to conservative treatment.

A Tarlov cyst (TC) is a fluid-filled sac that can develop anywhere in the spine affecting the nerve roots.

The spine is a long chain of bones, discs, muscles and ligaments that extends from the base of the skull to the tip of the tailbone.