Table 4 

Degenerative changes for degeneration occurrence parameters


Parameter Cnull (n = 11) UL, L, T Csau (n = 12) UL, L, T 1-week fixation (n = 18) UL, L, T 4 week-fixation (n = 19) UL, L, T 8-week fixation (n = 18) UL, L, T Total (n = 78) UL, L, T

VBs * 0/22, 3/33, 3/55 # , 0%, 9.0%, 5.5% @ 0/24, 1/36, 1/60, 0%, 2.8, 1.7% 1/36, 5/54, 6/90, 2.8%, 9.3%, 6.7% 2/38, 4/57, 6/95, 5.3%, 7.0%, 6.3% 2/36, 4/45, 6/90, 5.5%, 7.4%, 6.7% 5/156, 17/234, 22/390, 3.2%, 7.3%, 5.6%

IVDs 0/22, 0/22, 0/44, 0%, 0%, 0% 0/24, 0/24, 0/48, 0%, 0%, 0% 0/36, 0/36, 0/72, 0%, 0%, 0% 0/38, 1/38, 1/76, 0%, 2.6%, 1.3% 0/36, 1/36, 1/72, 0%, 2.8%, 1.4% 0/156, 2/156, 2/312, 0%, 1.3%, 0.6%

Z joint Osteo 20/44, 25/44, 45/88, 45.5%, 56.8%, 51.1 10/48, 15/48, 25/96, 20.8%, 31.3%, 26.0% 32/72, 42/72, 74/144, 44.4%, 58.3%, 51.4% 40/76, 50/76, 90/152, 52.6%, 65.8%, 59.2% 61/72, 70/72, 131/144, 84.7%, 97.2%, 91.0% 163/312, 202/312, 365/624, 52.2%, 64.7%, 58.5%

Z joint ASD § 18/88, 22/88, 40/176, 20.5%, 25.0%, 22.7% 14/96, 22/96, 36/192, 14.6%, 22.9%, 18.8% 61/144, 81/144, 142/288, 42.4%, 56.3%, 49.3% 105/152, 134/152, 239/304, 69.1%, 88.2%, 78.6% 116/144, 138/144, 254/288, 80.1%, 95.8%, 88.2% 314/624, 397/624, 711/1,248, 50.3%, 63.6%, 57.0%

UL, unlinked (nonfixed) segments ( Table 3 ; L, linked (fixed) segments ( Table 3 ; T, total (combined) unlinked and linked; VB, vertebral bodies; IVD, intervertebral disks; Z, zygapophysial; ASD, articular surface degeneration.

*Vertebral bodies (VBs) with signs of degeneration.
#Number of VBs, IVDs, Z joints, or articular surfaces with degenerative changes/Number of VBs, IVDs, Z joints, or articular surfaces evaluated.
@Degenerative changes expressed as a percentage.
Intervertebral disks (IVDs) with signs of degenerations.
Z joints with osteophytes present.
§Facetal surfaces with signs of articular surface degeneration (ASD).