BACKGROUND Intervertebral disc degeneration is emphasized as an important cause of low back pain. Current surgical treatment provides relief to the accompanying pain and disability but does not restore the biological function of the intervertebral disc. NOVOCART™ Disc plus, an autologous cell compound for autologous disc chondrocyte transplantation, was developed to reduce the degenerative sequ...

BACKGROUND Trace element (TE) analysis in human tissue has the dual purpose of assessing environmental pollution and metabolism. In literature, bone TE analysis is common, but studies in intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue are lacking. The aim of the study was evaluation of the difference of TE concentration in intervertebral disc and bone in patients with degenerative changes. The comparison of t...

Background and Aim: Lumbar disc degeneration is one of the most frequent causes of pain in the lower back, and lack of physical activity, overweight and obesity have been regarded as the most significant factors in its occurrence. The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluation of body mass index, abdominal obesity and physical activity level in patients registered for elective lumba...

The aim of this paper is the report of the long-term results of a prospective study on spinal cervical lamino-foraminotomy via posterior route for the surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathies due to spondylodiscoarthrosis. The goal of the described surgical procedure is the bony decompression of the involved root leaving the intervertebral protruded or herniated discs intact. Indication, ...

Introduction Na MRI has been used for a variety of tissue and organ imaging, including the brain, cartilage, the disc, breast, and kidneys. With the advent of high-field MRI scanners, high-resolution images can be obtained within clinically acceptable scan times. The sodium ions bound to tissues and organs can provide us with an invaluable information on the onset of disorder, such as osteoarth...

The operative approach for lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS) is one of the most challenging for spinal surgeons.[1-3] Excessive removal of the dorsal area of the foramen in a posterior approach can easily lead to iatrogenic spondylolysis, subsequently increasing lumbar instability and spondylolisthesis. A posterolateral approach is one solution to this problem. However, LFS in the L5/S1 region is...

INTRODUCTION The lumbar disc represents a complex biological ecosystem dependent on a homeostatic environment. Consistent with a natural ecosystem, demise and degeneration occurs as a consequence of one or a combination of environmental disruptions. With this understanding, we must move away from the general term “degenerative disc disease” (DDD) and move toward the determination of etiology-sp...