INTRODUCTION: Understanding the mechanism which leads to low back pain is a critical step to developing novel preventative strategies and therapeutic interventions that target this debilitating disease. Epidemiologic data indicate a strong correlation between incidence of low back pain and repeated mechanical loading of the spine. Low back pain also correlates with degeneration of the intervert...

Low back pain and degenerative disc disease are a significant cause of pain and disability worldwide. Advances in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies, particularly the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells and intervertebral disc chondrocytes, have led to the publication of numerous studies and clinical trials utilising these biological therapies to treat degenerative spinal cond...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE There is controversy regarding which imaging method is best for identifying early degenerative alterations in intervertebral discs. No correlations between such methods and histological finds are presented in the literature. The aim of this study was to correlate the thickness of intervertebral discs measured on simple radiographs with the degree of degeneration seen on ma...

Complex multi-lamellar biocomposite structure of Intervertebral Disc (IVD) imparts flexibility between adjacent vertebras, as well as allows transmission of loads from one vertebra to the next along the spine. The disc has a 1525 concentric layered laminate structure; each layer is reinforced by collagen fibers which are aligned at approximately 30 degree angle in successive layers with respect...

In this study, we used microarray analysis to investigate the biogenesis and progression of intervertebral disc degeneration. The gene expression profiles of 37 disc tissue samples obtained from patients with herniated discs and degenerative disc disease collected by the National Cancer Institute Cooperative Tissue Network were analyzed. Differentially expressed genes between more and less dege...

STUDY DESIGN Prospective randomized animal study. OBJECTIVE To determine a surgical technique for reproducible and functional intervertebral disc replacement in an orthotopic animal model. METHODS The caudal 3/4 intervertebral disc (IVD) of the rat tail was approached by two surgical techniques: blunt dissection, stripping and retracting (Technique 1) or incising and repairing (Technique 2)...

AIM The intervertebral disc starts to degenerate when a human being begins to stand and learn to walk. It is known that many extrinsic, intrinsic and genetic factors play a role in disc degeneration. In this study, we examined whether the matrix metalloproteinase 11 might be associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-six patients with lumbar disc herniations ...