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.
The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the neck (cervical region). The changes in the discs can result in back or neck pain and/or:s we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease in some people. These age-related changes include: 1  The loss of fluid in your discs. 2  This reduces the ability of the discs to act as shock absorbers and makes them less flexible.