caa a22 4500 44583403X CHVBK 20180317145324.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110801xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00586-011-1704-y doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00586-011-1704-y A fresh look at the nucleus-endplate region: new evidence for significant structural integration [Elektronische Daten] [Kelly Wade, Peter Robertson, Neil Broom] The disc nucleus is commonly thought of as a largely unstructured gel. However, exactly how the nucleus integrates structurally with the endplates remains somewhat ambiguous. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a substantial level of structural/mechanical cohesion does, in fact, exist across the nucleus-endplate junction. Vertebra-nucleus-vertebra samples were obtained from mature ovine lumbar motion segments and subjected to a novel technique involving circumferential transverse severing (i.e. ring-severing) of the annulus fibrosus designed to eliminate its strain-limiting influence. These samples were loaded in tension and then chemically fixed in order to preserve the stretched nucleus material. Structural continuity across the nucleus-endplate junctions was sufficient for the samples to support, on average, 20N before tensile failure occurred. Microscopic examination revealed nucleus fibres inserting into the endplates and the significant level of load carried by the nucleus material indicates that there is some form of structural continuity from vertebra to vertebra in the central nucleus region. Springer-Verlag, 2011 Disc nucleus nationallicence Cartilaginous endplate nationallicence Fibrosity nationallicence Tethering mechanisms nationallicence Wade Kelly Tissue Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand aut Robertson Peter Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Auckland Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand aut Broom Neil Tissue Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand aut European Spine Journal Springer-Verlag 20/8(2011-08-01), 1225-1232 0940-6719 20:8<1225 2011 20 586 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-1704-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-1704-y text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Wade Kelly Tissue Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Robertson Peter Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Auckland Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Broom Neil Tissue Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- European Spine Journal Springer-Verlag 20/8(2011-08-01), 1225-1232 0940-6719 20:8<1225 2011 20 586 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer