Disc degeneration occurs when the disc space between the vertebrae dehydrate, thin, and ultimately bulge, slip, or herniate into the spinal cord. While those in the general population have an occasional disc problem, those with a connective tissue disorder such as Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome, tend to have multiple discs with signs of degeneration (either in a single level (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar) or in the entire spine itself) and it is then considered Degenerative Disc Disease.

Etiological Co-factor: Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue (HDCT), such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS).