Is spinal degenerative disorder and arthritis of the spine the same thing or different?

Yes: Yes, these terms are often used interchangeably. Both refer to degeneration of the discs or facet joints or both.

Same: Sound like you're talking about the same thing. "degenerative changes" to the spinal discs, joints, and ligaments are the same as "arthritic" changes to the spine.

Pretty much: The most common type of arthritis is known as degenerative arthritis and describes the gradual wearing down of the cartilage cushion in a particular joint. In the spine, the disc serves as the cartilage cushion between the vertebrae. When it gets worn down this is known as degenerative disc disease, which essentially is a degenerative arthritis of the spine. Thank you for your question.