Researchers 'gain better understanding' of spinal disc degenerationRSS Feed

Researchers have come one step closer to predicting the spinal injury caused by spinal disc degeneration in a new study.

A study published in journal PLoS Computational Biology found that overloading on already degenerated spinal discs is less harmful than on healthy ones.

The scientists investigated the effect of external "loading" on oxygen and lactate, which are related to disc metabolism.

While normal loading allows for healthy transportation of nutrients and solutes, but overloading can be damaging.

Researcher Damien Lacroix commented: "In a healthy disc, we see that sustained mechanical stress - which alters solute concentration - affects the transport of nutrients more drastically than in already degenerated ones, suggesting that loading in the healthy disc is important for maintaining proper metabolic balance."

This follows research in journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which revealed that new biologically-based spinal implants improve over time, while the artificial discs currently used degrade as they mature.

Serious Law, award winning spinal injury law firm

Posted by Matthew Heap
 

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