Morphological changes in the human cervical intervertebral disc post trauma: response to fracture-type and degeneration grade over time.

Purpose: In the first 24 h post-intervertebral disc (IVD) trauma, up to 75 % cell death has been reported. In addition, burst fractures cause post-traumatic disc degeneration by elevated pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory gene transcription. Moreover, some patients have pre-trauma degenerative disc disease.

Morphological similarities after compression trauma of bovine and human intervertebral discs: Do disc cells have a chance of surviving?

To study the behavior of bovine disc cells and changes in disc matrix following in vitro compression tests; to compare the findings to investigations on human intervertebral discs (IVD) after burst fracture of the cervical spine. Healthy IVDs (n = 21) from three bovine tails were studied at 6 and 12 h post-mortem, with 16 IVDs subjected to impact loading and five as unloaded controls. IVDs (n = 8) from patients with burst fractures were compared to the bovine compression group.

Morphological differences in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a histological and ultrastructural investigation.

Study Design: Histological and ultrastructural evaluation of cell morphologies at the concave and convex side of apical intervertebral discs (IVD) of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Objective: To determine changes in cell morphology, viability, and cell death after asymmetric disc loading in AIS and to compare the findings with the tilt angles.

Summary Of Background Data: The reaction of cells to loading stimuli in the IVD seems to be specific.

Morphological changes in disc herniation in the lower cervical spine: an ultrastructural study.

Introduction: The basis of disc degeneration is still unknown, but is believed to be a cell-mediated process. Apoptosis might play a major role in degenerative disc disease (DDD). The aim of this study was to correlate the viability of disc cells with the radiological degeneration grades (rDG) in disc herniation.

Mid-term results of PLIF/TLIF in trauma.

Treatment of thoracolumbar fractures is still controversial. Several treatment options are reported to yield satisfactory results. There is no evidence indicating superiority of any treatment option.