Intradiscal thermal therapy using interstitial ultrasound: an in vivo investigation in ovine cervical spine.

Study Design: In vivo investigation of intradiscal ultrasound thermal therapy in ovine cervical spine model.

Objective: To evaluate the potential of interstitial ultrasound for selective heating of intradiscal tissue in vivo.

Summary Of Background Data: Application of heat in the spine using resistive wire and radiofrequency current heating devices is currently being used clinically for minimally invasive treatment of discogenic low back pain.

Effects of growth differentiation factor-5 on the intervertebral disc--in vitro bovine study and in vivo rabbit disc degeneration model study.

Study Design: In vitro studies on the effects of recombinant human growth and differentiation factor-5 (rhGDF-5) on matrix metabolism of bovine intervertebral disc cells and an in vivo study on the effect of rhGDF-5 in the rabbit anular puncture model.

Objective: To determine the reparative capacity of rhGDF-5 on the intervertebral disc.

Summary Of Background Data: The in vitro and in vivo effects of rhGDF-5, a crucial protein in the developing musculoskeletal system, on repair of the degenerated intervertebral disc remain unidentified.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) stimulates the extracellular matrix metabolism of porcine nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells cultured in alginate beads.

Study Design: In vitro assessment of the effects of platelet-rich plasma on the extracellular matrix metabolism of porcine intervertebral disc cells.

Objectives: To determine whether platelet-rich plasma is effective in stimulating cell proliferation and extracellular matrix metabolism by porcine disc cells cultured in alginate beads.

Summary Of Background Data: Platelet-rich plasma is used to accelerate wound healing and tissue regeneration.

Bone grafts prepared with selective cell retention technology heal canine segmental defects as effectively as autograft.

Using a canine critical-size segmental defect model, a two-phased study was undertaken to evaluate the healing efficacy of demineralized bone and cancellous chips (DBM-CC) enriched with osteoprogenitor cells using a Selective Cell Retention (SCR) technology. The goals of this study were: 1) to determine the bone-healing efficacy of SCR-enriched grafts versus autograft, and 2) to assess the value of clotting SCR-enriched grafts with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Thirty dogs were included in Phase I: 18 dogs were treated with an SCR-enriched DBM-CC graft clotted with autologous bone marrow, and were compared to 12 autograft controls.