The first 30 pages of this book, abundantly illustrated, are devoted to fundamental sciences: anatomy and physiology of the disc; physiopathology of the degeneration of the intervertebral discs, imagery of the normal disc and the pathological disc; and finally biomechanics of the operational disc and the degenerated disc.

Then, 4 chapters of experimental techniques follow compared histology of the human and animal disc; stages of the degeneration; in vitro regeneration and experimental results; and fabric culture of the intervertebral discs.

The third part of the book is dedicated to the various cartilaginous aspects, therapeutic, proteinic and genetic, with the stem cells, the replacement of nucleus and the repair of the fibrous ring.

The clinical experiments are developed in the fourth part, and the work ends in a study of progress and glances in the rest of the world. Finally, a bibliographical index allows fast and well-targeted entries.

This work makes a complete analysis of pathology of the intervertebral discs, current state of the art of therapeutic and what progress of the future holds for us. To recommend with all those which are impassioned by the rachis, its ageing and its safeguarding.