Arthritis Answers

Spinal Bone Spur

With the aging wear and tear of the spine (osteoarthritis), some patients develop bony outgrowths. These growths are bone spurs, also known as osteophytes. Bone spurs are the body’s natural response to the inflammation that results from the aging spine. The collection of calcium that turns into the bone spur is a type of natural fusion. However, as they grow and extend, the vertebral opening becomes narrow. Either the spinal canal and/or the foramen, the opening for nerve passageways, become smaller. This narrowing is stenosis, and results in a pinching (compression) of the spinal cord or the spinal nerve root. Symptoms may include pain, weakness, numbness and loss of coordination in the lower extremities.