title: Morphological similarities after compression trauma of bovine and human intervertebral discs: Do disc cells have a chance of surviving?
abstract: To study the behavior of bovine disc cells and changes in disc matrix following in vitro compression tests; to compare the findings to investigations on human intervertebral discs (IVD) after burst fracture of the cervical spine. Healthy IVDs (n = 21) from three bovine tails were studied at 6 and 12 h post-mortem, with 16 IVDs subjected to impact loading and five as unloaded controls. IVDs (n = 8) from patients with burst fractures were compared to the bovine compression group. Specimens were studied macroscopically, histologically, and ultrastructurally for healthy cells, balloon cells, and disc cell death (DCD). Annulus ruptures were seen in both post-trauma groups, with radial ruptures being present histologically in all loaded bovine discs. Balloon cells were found in some human IVDs and were induced in vitro in bovine loaded discs within a distinct range of absorbed energy. There was a positive correlation between DCD and absorbed energy in all compartments of bovine discs. Both species showed similar patterns of DCD in the different compartments. This study was able to show similarities between both species in cell morphologies and matrix damage. The survival of the disc after substantial compression trauma thus seems to remain highly questionable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sitte
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kathrein
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klosterhuber
authors.forename: Richard Andreas
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lindtner
authors.forename: Sabrina Barbara
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Neururer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmoelz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D023421:Models, Animal; D011312:Pressure; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: annulus rupture; balloon cell; burst fracture; compression trauma; disc cell death