title: Elastic fibers in human intervertebral discs.
abstract: Although previous studies failed to demonstrate elastic fibers in intervertebral discs, electron microscopy of twenty human intervertebral discs obtained at autopsy and operation revealed characteristic elastic fibers in both the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. Their contribution to the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc remains to be determined.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008875:Middle Aged