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INTRODUCTION Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a growth factor that is immediately released after cartilage injury and plays a pivotal role in cartilage homeostasis. In human adult articular cartilage, FGF2 mediates anti-anabolic and potentially catabolic effects via the suppression of proteoglycan (PG) production along with the upregulation of matrix-degrading enzyme activity. The aim of th...

Immunohistochemical evidences of the anabolic and anti-catabolic effects of epidural OP-1 injection for herniated nucleus pulposus in the rat Susan Chubinskaya1, Mamoru Kawakami2, Takuji Matsumoto3, Shunji Tsutsui2, Lev Rappoport1, David C. Rueger4 1Biochemistry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; 2Orthopedic Surgery, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Wakayma, Japan; 3Ortho...

The nucleus pulposus is an aggrecan-rich hydrated tissue that permits the intervertebral disc to resist compressive loads. Adaptation to loading is achieved through an elevation in disc osmolarity mediated by the numerous charged glycosoaminoglycan side chains of the aggrecan molecule. The goal of this investigation was to determine the functional role of the osmo-regulatory protein, TonEBP, in...

Impaired nutrition of the intervertebral disc has been hypothesized to be one of the causes of disc degeneration. However, no causal relationship between decreased endplate perfusion and limited nutrient transport has been demonstrated to support this pathogenic mechanism. To determine the importance of endplate perfusion on solute diffusion into the nucleus pulposus and to show causality of en...

STUDY DESIGN In vitro cell culture. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of high glucose on autophagy in adult rat intervertebral disc cells. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE Diabetes mellitus is considered to be an important etiologic factor for intervertebral disc degeneration, resulting in degenerative disc diseases. A glucose-mediated increase of autophagy is a major ca...

the initial experience concerning the use of magnetic resonance imaging in 94 patients who had sustained chronic cord injury showed its specific advantages over traditional imaging modalities. a variety of 84 cord abnormalities were identified including myelomalacia in 47%, cord cysts in 37%, focal atrophy in 11 % and cord transection in 5%. canal stenosis was seen in twenty-five patients, elev...

Background. Nucleus pulposus calcification in children is a relatively rare but well known clinical syndrome, usually localized at the level of the cervical spine. The exact aetiology still remains uncertain. Calcifications of the intervertebral discs in adults differ from the childhood variety. They are mainly degenerative in nature and occur at the level of midthoracic and upper lumbar spine....