Project of Intervertebral Disc

Alterations to intervertebral disc tissue physical properties with maturity

Our research investigates the association between Intervertebral disc properties and its maturity to determine whether experienced strains extend the annulus fibrosus beyond its elastic limits thereby playing a role in the cause of Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis.

 

 

 

During the growth spurt, body mass and height increases tremendously, and the spine experiences increased loading not just due to the increased weight but also due to longer moment arms. The disc also undergoes its own maturation, but if the growth spurt would occur earlier, the associated increased loading and intervertebral rotation would overload the anterior AF, causing its collagen fibres to break and the tissue to stretch. By providing a comprehensive dataset of healthy female spine growth and intervertebral disc maturation by measuring the internal composition, structural and physical properties of IVDs, we can determine dynamic instability and IVD tissue strains and explore if these strains extend the AF beyond the elastic limit under loading. Understanding this causal relationship can be exploited to develop methods for early detection and treatment of juvenile spine conditions.