Researchers harvested 51 motion segments from 13 cadaveric human lumbar spines. The cylindrical core was harvested from the center of each motion segment and included the vertebral bony and cartilage endplates as well as the adjacent nucleus tissue.
Nucleus cell density reportedly increased when disc height decreased, but was not related to subchondral bone porosity, total mobility or age. However, when researchers controlled for disc height, they observed a significant negative effect of age on cell density.
Gycosaminoglycan content decreased with age. Total mobility and porosity had a positive correlation with age. Even though cell density increased with degeneration, cell function showed that GAGs per cell decreased, according to the report.
Read the abstract about cell dysfunction in the spine.
Read other coverage on spine surgery studies:
– Study: Asymmetric Pelvic Bones in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy Patients Affects Spine Surgery Technique
– 3D Simulation of Spine Surgery Educational but Doesn’t Improve Surgical Performance
– Scoliosis Research Society Benchmarks Postsurgical Infection Rate
