Degeneration, in medicine, means the deterioration of certain organs, tissues or cells, resulting in a gradual loss of their structure and function. In degeneration recovery is often not possible. Degenerative disorders usually end with -osis.

Degeneration may result from:

  • Physical wear and tear, like in supraspinatus tendinosis (degeneration of the supraspinatus tendon in the shoulder)
  • Aging, like in macular degeneration of the retina
  • Metabolic disorders, like in fatty degeneration (steatosis) of the liver
  • Genetic disorders, like cystic fibrosis

In degenerative disorders, anti-inflammatory drugs do not help.

Degenerative disorders  should be distinguished from inflammatory disorders that end with -itis, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, and so on.

Sometimes, both inflammation and degeneration may occur simultaneously at the single site or follow concurrently. An example is supraspinatus tendinitis followed by supraspinatus tendinosis.