There are many causes of spine disorders; some common, some rare. The causes may be grouped into broad categories as outlined below.
The links in the text below connect to information about specific spine conditions provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. This will give you useful background information and will help you to ask the right questions when you see us. To understand the basic way a spine is ‘built’ and to learn how it works, visit their website.
Diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis remain a significant contributor to the spine surgeons’ work load.
The medical management of the diseases has improved remarkably over the last few years and hopefully patients suffering from these conditions needing spine surgery will become far less common for the next generation of spine surgeons. Structural instability in the spine, deformity and nerve compression are common findings in this group of patients.
