The intervertebral disc maintains a balance between externally applied loads and internal osmotic pressure. Fluid flow plays a key role in this process, causing fluctuations in disc hydration and height. The objectives of this study were to quantify and model the axial creep and recovery responses of nondegenerate and degenerate human lumbar discs. Two experiments were performed. First, a slow ...

OBJECT In patients with long-standing lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) conventional surgical therapy of a herniated disc may worsen back pain due to further destabilization of the affected motion segment. In recent years, total-disc arthroplasty has been introduced to treat DDD while maintaining segmental mobility. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report involving ...

Recent findings suggest that vertebral osteophytes increase the resistance of the spine to compression. However, the role of vertebral osteophytes on the biomechanical response of the spine under fast dynamic compression, up to failure, is unclear. Seventeen human spine specimens composed of three vertebrae (from T5-T7 to T11-L1) and their surrounding soft tissues were harvested from nine cadav...

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

STUDY DESIGN A microRNA (miRNA) study using Solexa sequencing. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD)-specific miRNA expression profile, and to validate its biological function. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Accumulating evidence indicates that miRNAs play a critical role in IDD, but the role of specific miRNAs involved in this entity remains...

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 ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between temporomandibular joint (TMJ) effusion and disk displacement by means of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS One hundred and ninety-four patients were included in the study and underwent a bilateral MR of the TMJ at both closed mouth and maximum mouth opening positions. The association between TMJ effusion and...

OBJECTIVE Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with or without partial uncovertebral joint resection (UVR) and posterior keyhole foraminotomy are established operative procedures to treat cervical disc degeneration and radiculopathy. Studies have demonstrated reliable results with each procedure, but none have compared the change in neuroforaminal area between indirect and direct deco...