Update on the pathophysiology of degenerative disc disease and new developments in treatment strategies

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Adam H Hsieh, University of Maryland; Tim Yoon, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2010-10-14
• Publisher: Dove Medical Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2010 Hsieh and Yoon, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S9057
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine
• ISSN: 1179-1543
• Volume: 1
• Start Page: 191
• End Page: 199
• Grant/Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the National Institutes of Health (AR054051; AHH), the National Science Foundation (CBET-0845754; AHH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (AHH), and the University of Maryland, College Park for providing funding that supported some of the work mentioned and the preparation of this manuscript.
• Keywords: quality of life; aging; degenerative disc disease; intervertebral
• Research Categories: Engineering, Biomedical; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) continues to be a prevalent condition that afflicts populations on a global scale. The economic impact and decreased quality of life primarily stem from back pain and neurological deficits associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. Although much effort has been invested into understanding the etiology of DDD and its relationship to the onset of back pain, this endeavor is a work in progress. The purpose of this review is to provide focused discussion on several areas in which recent advances have been made. Specifically, we have categorized these advances into early, middle, and late phases of age-related or degenerative changes in the disc and into promising minimally invasive treatments, which aim to restore mechanical and biological functions to the disc.