STUDY DESIGN Immunohistochemical study of the sensory innervation of the human lumbar intervertebral disc. OBJECTIVE To determine the type of sensory fibers innervating human degenerated lumbar intervertebral discs. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Sensory neurons involved in pain perception related to inflammation in rats are typically small, peptide-containing neurons immunoreactive for calcito...

STUDY DESIGN A new rabbit model was developed that produces disc degeneration through the application of controlled and quantified axial mechanical load. OBJECTIVES To characterize the changes associated with disc degeneration, and to evaluate the feasibility of local transfer of agents to the compressed discs to stimulate disc regeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Studies have shown tha...

BACKGROUND Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is common, with severe disease increasing the risk for chronic low back pain. This cross-sectional study examined whether disc degeneration is representative of a 'whole-organ' pathology, by examining its association with bone (vertebral endplate) and soft tissue (paraspinal muscle fat) abnormalities. METHODS Seventy-two community-based...

Visfatin reportedly induces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Severe grades intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) exhibit higher visfatin than mild ones. However, direc...

Complications arising from lumbar intervertebral disc surgery are rare but fatal. Major vascular injury is one complication that may end in death unless it is diagnosed and treated immediately. Herein we report an abdominal aortic injury due to L3-L4 intervertebral disc surgery that was treated successfully and discuss it in light of current literature. Diagnosis and treatment of an abdominal a...

Bone-morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) is a growth factor that plays a major role in mediating anabolism and anti-catabolism of the intervertebral disc matrix and cell homeostasis. In osteoblasts, Forkhead box protein C2 (FoxC2) is a downstream target of BMPs and promotes cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role FoxC2 may play in degenerative human intervertebral disc tissue and ...

Prediction of the relationship between different types of mechanical loading and the failure of the intervertebral disc is so important to identify the risk factors which are difficult to study in vivo and in vitro. On the basis of finite element methods some of these issues may be overcome enabling more detailed assessment of the biomechanical behavior of the intervertebral disc. The objective...

INTRODUCTION A scoliotic deformity on intervertebral discs may accelerate degeneration at a molecular level with the production of metalloproteinases (MMPs). In the present experimental study we evaluated the presence of MMP-1 immunohistochemically after application of asymmetric forces in a rat intervertebral disc and the impact of the degree of the deformity on MMP-1 expression. MATERIAL-ME...