. 2013 Apr 2;22(9):2030–2034. doi: 10.1007/s00586-013-2764-y

Table 3.

Morphological data of L4 and L5 (cm; mean ± SD)

Age	40s	50s	60s	70s	80s
Height of L4 spinous process	2.07 ± 0.36	2.11 ± 0.25	2.15 ± 0.31^a	2.27 ± 0.30^a	2.30 ± 0.28
Height of L5 spinous process	1.76 ± 0.38	1.81 ± 0.31	1.81 ± 0.30^b	1.90 ± 0.37^b	1.92 ± 0.28
Height of L4 vertebral body	2.80 ± 0.34	2.77 ± 0.32^b	2.64 ± 0.32^b	2.63 ± 0.33	2.58 ± 0.31
Height of L5 vertebral body	2.64 ± 0.33	2.63 ± 0.32^c	2.53 ± 0.31^c	2.50 ± 0.31	2.47 ± 0.31
Height of L4/5 intervertebral disc	0.96 ± 0.25	0.89 ± 0.28	0.83 ± 0.23	0.79 ± 0.30	0.70 ± 0.29
Height of L5/S1 intervertebral disc	1.05 ± 0.26	1.02 ± 0.35	1.03 ± 0.32	1.01 ± 0.37	0.98 ± 0.36

^aSignificant difference (P < 0.001) between groups

^bSignificant difference (P < 0.01) between groups

^cSignificant difference (P < 0.05) between groups