Cervical spondylosis is a chronic degeneration of the bones (vertebrae) of the neck (cervical spine) and the cushions between the vertebrae (discs).

Progressive worsening of neck pain and stiffness may be an indicator of cervical spondylosis. It can lead to pressure on your spinal nerves which can cause pain down the arms and hands (cervical radiculopathy) or pressure on the spinal cord leading to numbness and weakness in both arms and legs (cervical myelopathy) which can be detected early by a change in handwriting or altered gait.

This condition may be managed by surgical decompression by anterior (from the front) or posterior (from the back) approaches with or without fusion.

Scoliosis is the Greek word for 'curvature'. Scoliosis causes the spine to curve laterally (to the side), usually in the shape of an "S" or "C". The magnitude of the curve is measured in degrees with respect to the apical (most deviated) vertebra.

This can occur due to congenital anomalies (present at birth), adolescent age (growth-related), or in adults (due to degenerative changes). Physical signs may include uneven shoulders, one hip lower than the other, a rib hump when bent over at the waist, and leaning to one side.

If left untreated, it may lead to progressive deformity and secondary systemic complications like difficulty in breathing due to restrictive lung disease. Whatever the patient's age, the goal is to stabilize the spine to prevent the progression of curvature and to correct the deformity.

Traditionally, Scoliosis is treated with posterior instrumented fusion surgery. Apollo Institute of Spine Surgery is the only center in India at present to offer Non-fusion scoliosis correction which preserves spinal mobility.

Cervical disc prolapse can result from poor posture, especially in occupations at risk like IT workers, mechanics, and painters.

Trauma, with sudden forward bending (flexion) of the neck, as occurs in whiplash injuries can also lead to disc prolapse which will affect the shoulder and arms. sometimes, the disc can also press on the spinal cord if it prolapses centrally.

Depending on the degree of compression, one experiences pain along with the supply of the compressed nerve or even develops weakness of the legs, with difficulty in walking and a stiff gait.

Disc replacement is one of the newer methods in young patients and has shown good results at the Apollo Institute of Spine Surgery at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai.

Spondylolisthesis is a Greek term meaning 'slipping of the spine'. It is a common condition with abnormal forward movement of one vertebra over the vertebra below.

Most often, this forward slip of the vertebra occurs in the lumbar area (L4-5, L5-S1) of the spine. This slippage and herniation of the disc causes pressure on the nerve roots between the affected vertebrae, causing pain and dysfunction.

Surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on nerve roots, correction of slippage, prevention of further slipping and restoration of spinal balance is the key. 

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is very common affecting half of the population and becomes increasingly prevalent as we age. It is a kind of 'wear and tear' disease similar to osteoarthritis of the knee.

Although it can occur at any spinal level, it is most common in the lumbar spine (low back). DDD can cause the discs to flatten losing their normal height. Common surgical procedure involves fusion of the involved level, options in multiple level involvement include fusion at one level with motion preservation at the adjacent level, preserving motion and preventing further degeneration.