1. one of the nine Greek goddesses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who presided over the arts: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania. 2. (sometimes l.c.) the inspiration that motivates a poet, artist, or thinker.
The process is superimposed by degenerative changes that can cause stenosis and affect the nerve roots and these changes don't go away, even beyond age 75, as you see in this patient. Since the spine is a mobile organ structure, it does not spontaneously fuse until beyond 70 to 80 years of age.
Degenerative spine conditions all involve a loss of normal structure and function in the spine. Degenerative means that the cause of these changes is age-related wear and tear. The changes are not due to trauma, infection, or some other cause.