intervertebral disc

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the molecular role of Wnt5a on inflammation-driven intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). METHODS: The expression of Wnt5a was analyzed in human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues with immunohistochemical staining. The effects of Wnt5a on matrix production were assessed by RT-qPCR and western blotting. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), promoter deletion assay, and promoter binding site mutant were used to reveal the molecular role of Wnt5a in TNF-α-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression...

Native and engineered fiber-reinforced tissues are composites comprised of stiff collagen fibers embedded within an extrafibrillar matrix that is capable of swelling by absorbing water molecules. Tissue swelling is important for understanding stress distributions between collagen fibers and extrafibrillar matrix, as well as for understanding mechanisms of tissue failure. The swelling behavior of fiber-reinforced tissues in the musculoskeletal system has been largely attributed to the glycosaminoglycan content...

Spinal fusion is a common surgical procedure to address a range of spinal pathologies, like damaged or degenerated discs. After the removal of the intervertebral disc (IVD), a structural spacer is positioned followed by internal fixation, and fusion of the degenerated segment by natural bone growth. Due to their osteoinductive properties, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) are applied to promote spinal fusion. Although spinal fusion is successful in most patients, the rates of non-unions after lumbar spine fusion range from 5% to 35%...

STUDY DESIGN: Meta-analysis to collect all the relevant studies to further investigate whether or not the FAS ligand (FASL) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) genetic polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in Chinese Han population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether or not the FASL and TRAIL genetic polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to IDD in Chinese Han population...

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the initiation and development of different diseases. Here, we detected their role in intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. An Arraystar human circular RNA microarray assay was used to detect circRNAs in normal and degenerated human IVD nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues. The role of circ-4099 in IVDD and its mechanism were evaluated by qRT-PCR and gain-of-function/loss-of-function studies. Interaction networks for competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), miRNAs, and miRNA target gene were detected by bioinformatics analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase assay...

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a multifactorial disease and responsible for many spine related disorders, causes disability in the workforce and heavy social costs all over the world. Honokiol, a low molecular weight natural product, could penetrate into and distribute in IVDs to achieve therapeutic effect in a rat tail model. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the antiinflammatory, antioxidation and chondroprotective effect of honokiol using nucleus pulposus cells and investigate its mechanisms to provide a new basis for future clinical treatment of IVDD...

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) causes back pain and sciatica, affecting quality of life and resulting in high economic/social burden. The etiology of IDD is not well understood. Along with aging and environmental factors, genetic factors also influence the onset, progression and severity of IDD. Genetic studies of risk factors for IDD using human cohorts are limited by small sample size and low statistical power. Animal models amenable to genetic and functional studies of IDD provide desirable alternatives...

STUDY DESIGN: An experimental study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmentation on the adjacent disc. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Vertebral augmentation with PMMA reportedly may predispose the adjacent vertebra to fracture. The influence of PMMA augmentation on the adjacent disc, however, remains unclear. METHODS: Using a retroperitoneal approach, PMMA augmentation was performed for 23 rabbits...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of polytheretherketone (PEEK) cages assisted anterior cervical discetomy and fusion (ACDF) to treat cervical spondylosis with sympathetic symptoms. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was undertaken for 39 patients who were diagnosed as cervical spondylosis with sympathetic symptoms and underwent ACDF with PEEK cages. Radiographs obtained before surgery, after surgery, and at the final follow-up were assessed for quality of fusion...

Objective Lack of specific marker-sets prohibits definition and functional distinction of cellular subtypes in the intervertebral disc (IVD), such as those from the annulus fibrosus (AF) and the nucleus pulposus (NP). Design We recently generated immortalized cell lines from human NP and AF tissues; these comprise a set of functionally distinct clonal subtypes. Whole transcriptome analyses were performed of 12 phenotypically distinct clonal cell lines (4× NP-Responder, 4× NP-nonResponder, 2× AF-Sheet forming, and 2× AF-nonSheet forming)...

PURPOSE: Low back pain is a major public health issue. Identifying factors associated with better intervertebral disc (IVD) characteristics gives insight into IVD metabolism and highlights intervention targets for improvement of IVD health. This cross-sectional study investigates whether IVD T2-relaxation time on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is associated with vertebral fat fraction (VFF; to quantify marrow adipose tissue), trunk muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle function and physical activity (PA)...

During locomotion, each step generates a shock wave that travels through the body toward the head. Without mechanisms for attenuation, repeated shocks can lead to pathology. Shock attenuation (SA) in the lower limb has been well studied, but little is known about how posture affects SA in the spine. To test the hypothesis that lumbar lordosis (LL) contributes to SA, 27 adults (14 male, 13 female) walked and ran on a treadmill. Two lightweight, tri-axial accelerometers were affixed to the skin overlying T12/L1 and L5/S1...

BACKGROUND: In patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the cervical spine, it is well known that the thoracic ossified lesions often coexist with the cervical lesions and can cause severe myelopathy. However, the prevalence of OPLL at each level of the thoracic and lumbar spinal segments is unknown. The aims of this study were to investigate how often OPLL occurs at each level in the thoracolumbar spine in patients with a radiological diagnosis of cervical OPLL and to identify the spinal levels most likely to develop ossification...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) apoptosis is the main factor in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD); thus, inhibiting the excessive apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells may be a potential way to alleviate IDD. The effect of Hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) on human NPC apoptosis has never been reported. Our study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of HO-1 on apoptosis in human degenerative NPCs. METHODS: Nucleus pulposus tissues were collected from patients with lumbar vertebral fracture (LVF) and IDD...

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the mid- to long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of anterior cervical discectomy and dynamic cervical implant (DCI) arthroplasty for degenerative cervical disc disease. METHODS: From April 2010 to October 2010, 38 patients with single- or double-level cervical disc herniation underwent anterior cervical discectomy and DCI arthroplasty. The clinical results and radiographic outcomes of these 38 patients (42 levels) were retrospectively evaluated...

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to reveal the distinctive features of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for distinguishing brucellar spondylodiscitis (BSD) from tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TSD) in the acute and subacute stages. METHODS: This study involved 14 patients with BSD and 18 patients with TSD from May 2011 to January 2015. BSD was diagnosed based on ≥1/160 titers of a Brucella agglutination test or isolation of Brucella spp. TSD was diagnosed based on the isolation of tuberculosis bacteria...

BACKGROUND: Spondylolytic (or lytic) spondylolisthesis is often associated with disc degeneration at the index-level; however, it is not clear if disc degeneration is the cause or the consequence of lytic spondylolisthesis. The main objective of this computed tomography based finite element modelling study was to examine the role of different grades of disc degeneration in the progression of a bilateral L5-lytic defect to spondylolisthesis. METHODS: High-resolution computed tomography data of the lumbosacral spine from an anonymised healthy male subject (26 years old) were segmented to build a 3D-computational model of an INTACT L1-S1 spine...

Objective Since the extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure was first reported by Ozgur in 2006, a large number of clinical studies have been published. Anatomical studies which explore methods to avoid visceral structures, such as the kidney, with this approach have not been examined in detail. We dissected the retroperitoneal space to analyze how the extreme lateral transpsoas approach to the lumbar spine could damage the kidney and related structures. Methods Eight sides from four fresh Caucasian cadavers were used for this study...

Introduction
 The extreme lateral interbody fusion technique (XLIF) is a modification of the retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine. This is a minimally invasive technique allowing direct access to the disc space without peritoneal or posterior paraspinal musculature damage. Nevertheless, the retroperitoneal part of the colon can be injured in this operative technique. To our knowledge, a study analyzing the anatomical considerations of the extreme lateral interbody fusion technique with regards to potential colon injuries has not been previously performed...

One cat was presented for investigation of urinary retention and constipation and a second cat was presented with decreased appetite, reluctance to jump, reduced level of activity, and constipation. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed dorsal bulging of the hypo-intense intervertebral disc at S3-Cd1 on fast spin echo T2. Dorsal laminectomy was performed and both cats recovered with resolution of neurological signs.