U.C.L.A. Rheumatology Pathophysiology of Disease Course Lecture, Second Year Medical School 2005

     OA of the spine is common, and results from changes in the intervertebral discs which narrow and degenerate, or from injury to the vertebral body, or from the more typical changes of OA that occur to the hyaline cartilage of the facet joints. The localized pain and stiffness associated with these structural changes most likely stem from muscle spasm, paraspinal ligaments, joint capsule or larger nerve structures in the vicinity, since the cartilage itself contains no nerves.