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Pathogenesis of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

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The Intervertebral Disc

Abstract

It is estimated that as much as 84 % of the population will suffer from low back pain (LBP) at some point in their lifetime (Walker 2000), with around 10 % of sufferers being chronically disabled. As such LBP is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions affecting Western society (Stewart et al. 2003), and its prevalence has increased over recent decades (Harkness et al. 2005). The socio-economic cost of LBP is also huge, with associated costs, in terms of lost productivity, disability benefits and direct and indirect health-care costs, estimated in the UK to be around £12 billion annually (Maniadakis and Gray 2000) and in the USA to be over $85 billion per annum (Martin et al. 2008). Importantly, increases in both the size and average age of the population both suggest that the prevalence and costs associated with LBP will continue to rise over future decades, unless novel therapies can be developed to alleviate pain and restore long-term function and mobility to the spine. However, in order to develop such therapies, a more thorough understanding of the underlying aetiology is required.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Arthritis Research UK (ARUK) and Research Councils UK (RCUK).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Stopford Building Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Stephen M. Richardson, Anthony J. Freemont & Judith A. Hoyland

  2. School of Medicine, The University of Manchester, Stopford Building Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Anthony J. Freemont

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  1. Stephen M. Richardson
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  2. Anthony J. Freemont
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  3. Judith A. Hoyland
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Correspondence to Judith A. Hoyland .

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  1. Jefferson Medical College Div Ortho Rsch/Dept Othro Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Irving M. Shapiro

  2. Jefferson Medical College Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Makarand V. Risbud

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Richardson, S.M., Freemont, A.J., Hoyland, J.A. (2014). Pathogenesis of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. In: Shapiro, I., Risbud, M. (eds) The Intervertebral Disc. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1535-0_11

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