Spine disorders represent a crucial intersection of musculoskeletal and neurological pathology, with spinal degeneration, deformity, and spinal cord injury forming an interlinked triad that poses persistent clinical and research challenges. Historically, each element—degeneration, deformity, and cord injury—has been considered predominantly in isolation, resulting in compartmentalized approaches to research, diagnosis, and therapy. Recent studies, however, have begun to reveal that these conditions share overlapping and mutually reinforcing pathophysiological mechanisms: degeneration may foster instability and deformity, while these structural changes in turn precipitate spinal cord compromise and neurological deficits. Spinal cord injuries can then further drive instability and degenerative processes, perpetuating a self-amplifying cycle that underlies progressively worsening morbidity. Despite mounting evidence of such bidirectional interactions, major gaps remain in our coordinated understanding of how these factors intersect at the molecular, biomechanical, and clinical levels. The literature urgently needs integrated, multi-scale perspectives to advance unified strategies for prevention and management.

This Research Topic aims to dismantle disciplinary silos, galvanizing an integrated framework that scrutinizes the reciprocal relationships and shared pathologies connecting spinal degeneration, deformity, and spinal cord injury. By nurturing the intersection of basic science, translational medicine, and clinical research, our objective is to illuminate the molecular, cellular, biomechanical, and clinical mechanisms that conspire in this pathological triangle. We seek to catalyze innovation in diagnostic tools, risk prediction models, and intervention strategies—whether surgical or non-surgical—with the overarching goal of optimizing both structural stability and neurological function. In doing so, we wish to move beyond piecemeal management to develop a robust theoretical and practical paradigm that yields comprehensive, patient-centered care.

While the Research Topic focuses on the integrated dynamics among spinal degeneration, deformity, and cord injury, it welcomes contributions across laboratory, translational, and clinical domains. The scope intentionally emphasizes studies that bridge traditional subspecialty boundaries, without duplicating reviews of isolated mechanisms. We particularly encourage submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Biomechanical and molecular pathways linking degeneration to deformity and/or neurological compromise

- Pathophysiological and neurogenic mechanisms by which deformities induce cord injury

- The cyclical relationship between spinal cord injury, instability, and degeneration

- Inflammatory, metabolic, and cellular signaling mediators in the progression of spinal pathology

- Multimodal imaging, biomechanical modeling, and neurophysiological tools for assessing disease interplay

- Artificial intelligence approaches for predicting transition between degeneration, deformity, and injury

- Comprehensive clinical assessment and phenotyping of patients with combined spinal disorders

- Integrated surgical and non-surgical treatments targeting multiple facets of spinal pathology

- Applications of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering in both neural and structural repair

We welcome a full spectrum of article types, including original research, systematic or narrative reviews, clinical studies, translational reports, case series, and perspectives. All manuscripts will undergo rigorous peer review in line with journal standards.

Confirm your expert contribution

Spinal Degeneration, Deformity, and Spinal Cord Injury