Degenerative changes in the lumbar spine Lumbar 2 vertebral body flattening is usually indicative of a compression fracture of the lumbar 2 vertebral body. Degenerative lesions of the lumbar spine can lead to a variety of lumbar disorders, such as lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis. Flattening of the vertebral body height suggests compression of the vertebral bone, which is common in compression fractures of the lumbar spine. Compression fractures of the lumbar vertebrae in young people are mainly caused by fall from height injuries; middle-aged and elderly patients suffer from rapid bone loss, and most of the compression fractures are caused by osteoporosis. Compression fractures of the lumbar spine are characterized by lumbar pain, localized deformity, and swelling. Elderly patients may have atypical symptoms, which are mostly detected by an occasional physical examination, but the vertebral body height may have been compressed to a more severe degree. Most trauma-induced compression fractures are associated with neurological dysfunction, such as weakness, numbness and even paraplegia of the lower limbs, and heal poorly; most elderly patients have a better prognosis.