NEW RESEARCH-Damaged disc loses glycosaminoglycan
Mechanical deformation and glycosaminoglycan content changes in a rabbit annular puncture disc degeneration model.
Source
* Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana † Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.
They performed an MRI after 5 weeks to estimate the disc volume and glycosaminoglycan distribution.
The disc volume increased significantly at 4 weeks after the puncture. The nucleus pulposus (center of the disc) displaced from anulus fibrosus (outer rings of the disc) increased T1 weighting of disc and glycosaminoglycan significantly decreased.
So this all shows that if there is damaged disc, the glycosaminoglycan escapes the damaged disc, and the disc itself changes. What could help the disc? Possibly nutrition and chiropractic flexion distraction?
