STUDY DESIGN An autograft of costal cartilage was transplanted into the rat intervertebral space in the proximal tail following 2 weeks of simulated degeneration by chondroitinase ABC (CABC). OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate costal cartilage transplantation into a degenerated disc as a possible therapy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Reversal of degenerative disc dehydration...

Abstract Purpose Biomechanical comparison of wedge and biconcave deformity different height restoration after augmentation osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures was analyzed by three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). Methods Three-dimensional model (FEM) T11-L2 segment constructed from CT scan elderly osteoporosis patient. The von Mises stresses vertebrae, intervertebral disc, f...

OBJECTIVE In the present work we studied the expression of nerve growth associated protein (GAP-43) in a rat model of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS 16 healthy adult SD rats, male or female, with an average weight 220g were selected. FluoroGold was injected in L5-L6 disc as the tracer. After 7 days, Freund's adjuvant was then injected to build model of intervertebral disc degenerat...

Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the most common and costly medical problems today [1, 2]. Pain is usually transitory and can arise from the intervertebral discs, bones, ligaments and muscles of the spine. Risk factors for LBP include genetic, environmental, psychosocial and biomechanical influences [3]. However, although 85% of LBP cases have no clear etiology, 97% may be due to musculoskeletal...

Lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration is induced by multiple factors, but few studies have examined the effects of aquaporins on this process. We compared the expression levels of aquaporins 1 and 3 in normal and degenerative lumbar intervertebral discs. Fifteen normal and 15 degenerative lumbar intervertebral disc tissues were excised from lumbar burst fracture patients during orthopedic ope...

The ability of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc to resist compressive loads is due to its high content of the proteoglycan aggrecan. Degeneration of the intervertebral disc is preceded and accompanied by a loss of aggrecan due to proteolysis. Biological repair of intervertebral disc degeneration should strive to restore aggrecan content to its optimal functional level. One approa...

BACKGROUND It is well documented that epidural adhesion is associated with spinal pain. However, the underlying mechanism of spinal pain generation by epidural adhesion has not yet been elucidated. OBJECTIVES To elucidate the underlying mechanism of spinal pain generation by epidural adhesion using a two-dimensional (2D) non-linear finite element (FE) analysis. STUDY DESIGN A finite element...