![compressed disk xray lumbar compressed disk xray lumbar](https://www.hamidmirmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/herniated_disc.jpg)
These cells produce the glycoproteins, which make up the nucleus, (the gel or sponge) and they need oxygen to function well. This creates a problem for the living cells inside the disc. The fluids that are transferred into the disc are poor in oxygen and limited in nutrients. The water and nutrients that this material absorbs and releases, transfers through the endplate of the vertebra under a process called imbibition. This means that motion of the disc exchanges fluids similarly to a squeezing a sponge under water and releasing it. The only fluids that can be exchanged are under hydrostatic and osmotic pressure.
![compressed disk xray lumbar compressed disk xray lumbar](https://i0.wp.com/boneandspine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/intervertebral-disc-calcification-image.jpg)
Without a blood supply, there is very poor oxygen penetration into the interior of the disc. This means that collectively, the discs are the largest structures in the body that have no blood supply. The first problem is that the blood supply, for all intensive purposes, disappears from the disc by about the age of eight. Problems exist with the design of the disc that causes the “disease” we know today as lumbar degenerative disc disease or DDD. The problem, in reality, goes much further than this. When someone experiences lower back pain that does not go away, they may assume they have a slipped disc, a pinched nerve in the lower back, or a compressed nerve in the spine. Spine doctors are often asked to explain what is a degenerative disc and why does lower back pain exist. This material creates a barrier to nutrients and oxygen entering and exiting the disc.Ĭommon Causes of Degenerative Disc Disease Blood Supply and Imbibition They are made of hyaline cartilage-the same cartilage that lines the hip and knee joints.
![compressed disk xray lumbar compressed disk xray lumbar](https://neckandback.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lat_c5-6_ddd.jpg)
The endplates of the disc separate the bone of the vertebral body from the interior of the disc. Each layer of these rings alternates in angulation in their attachment to the bone of the vertebra. The outside of the donut is made up of about thirty rings of collagen, called the annulus, just like the plies of a tire. The jelly pulls in water from the body of the vertebra to create a high-pressure interior matrix (think of the jelly as the air pressure in a tire). This structure allows it to act like a giant sponge. The jelly (called the nucleus) is made of sugars attached to a protein backbone called a proteoglycan. In appearance, a disc of the lumbar spine looks like a jelly donut. We will discuss those demands and offer causes of low back pain and reasons to why lower back problems exist. These requirements create some major demands. It also has to have restraints to prevent damage to itself and the other spinal structures such as the nerves and facets. This structure absorbs impact and still allows for motion of the spine. The disc functions like a shock absorber. To understand this better, it helps to gain an understanding of the function of the lumbar spine. Mechanically, everything associated with the anatomy of the lumbar spine revolves around the disc. Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease as a Cause ofĬhronic back pain and the reasons why lower back pain exists, such as lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD), can often be explained by looking at the overall anatomy of the spine.