Intervertebral disc and stem cells cocultured in biomimetic extracellular matrix stimulated by cyclic compression in perfusion bioreactor.

Background Context: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration often causes back pain. Current treatments for disc degeneration, including both surgical and nonsurgical approaches, tend to compromise the disc movement and cannot fully restore functions of the IVD. Instead, cell-based IVD tissue engineering seems promising as an ultimate therapy for IVD degeneration.

Epidural anesthesia as a novel anesthetic technique for anterior lumbar interbody fusion.

Study Objective: To determine if epidural anesthesia is a reasonable technique for anterior lumbar interbody fusion.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Academic university hospital.