Diseased spine. Frontal coloured X-ray of the lumbar spine of a 48 year old suffering from scoliosis, arthrosis and osteophytosis. Scoliosis is a congenital sideways curvature of the spine. Arthrosis is a degenerative joint disease, which causes damage to the cartilage and bone of a joint. As the cartilage is worn away, new bone grows as part of the repair process. This is osteophytosis, which limits the movement and flexibility of a joint.