BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration remains a clinically important
condition for which treatment is costly and relatively ineffective. The molecular basis of …

The elastic properties of engineered biomaterials and tissues impact their post-implantation
repair potential and structural integrity, and are critical to help regulate cell fate and gene …

Study Design. Mechanical and biochemical analyses of cadaveric and surgically removed
discs. Objective. To test the hypothesis that fissures in the annulus of degenerated human …

Preclinical studies involving large animal models aim to recapitulate the clinical situation as
much as possible and bridge the gap from benchtop to bedside. To date, studies …

Study Design. Disc recovery behavior under hypo-and hyperosmotic pressure. Objective. To
evaluate the effect of osmotic pressure on the unloaded recovery response of healthy discs …

The biomechanical function of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is a critical indicator of tissue
health and pathology. The mechanical responses (displacements, strain) of the IVD to …

Introduction Despite many advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of disc
degeneration, there remains a paucity of preclinical models which can be used to study the …

Purpose Noninvasive assessment of tissue mechanical behavior could enable insights into
tissue function in healthy and diseased conditions and permit the development of effective …

Low back pain due to disc degeneration is a major cause of morbidity and health care
expenditures worldwide. While stem cell‐based therapies hold promise for disc …

Functional imaging of tissue biomechanics can reveal subtle changes in local softening and
stiffening associated with disease or repair, but noninvasive and nondestructive methods to …