Disc degeneration transfers compressive load bearing from the anterior vertebral body to the neural arch in upright postures, reducing BMD and trabecular architecture anteriorly. This predisposes to anterior fracture when the spine is flexed.
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This record was last updated on 07/03/2016 and may not reflect the most current and accurate biomedical/scientific data available from NLM. The corresponding record at NLM can be accessed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16939399