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Metabolic Effects of Angulation, Compression, and Reduced Mobility on Annulus Fibrosis in a Model of Altered Mechanical Environment in Scoliosis

  • Biomechanic
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Abstract

Study Design

: Comparison of disc tissue from rat tails in 6 groups with different mechanical conditions imposed. p ]Objectives: To identify disc annulus changes associated with the supposed altered biomechanical environment in a spine with scoliosis deformity using an immature rat model that produces disc narrowing and wedging.

Background

Intervertebral discs become wedged and narrowed in a scoliosis curve, probably partly because of an altered biomechanical environment.

Methods

We subjected tail discs of 5-week-old immature Sprague-Dawley rats to an altered mechanical environment using an external apparatus applying permutations of loading and deformity for 5 weeks. Together with a sham and a control group, we studied 4 groups of rats: A) 15° angulation, B) angulation with 0.1 MPa compression, C) 0.1 MPa compression, and R) reduced mobility. We measured disc height changes and matrix composition (water, deoxyribonucleic acid, glycosaminoglycan, and hyaluronic acid content) after 5 weeks, and proline and sulphate incorporation and messenger ribonucleic acid expression at 5 days and 5 weeks.

Results

After 5 weeks, disc space was significantly narrowed relative to internal controls in all 4 intervention groups. Water content and cellularity (deoxyribonucleic acid content) were not different at interventional levels relative to internal controls and not different between the concave and convex sides of the angulated discs. There was increased glycosaminoglycan content in compressed tissue (in Groups B and C), as expected, and compression resulted in a decrease in hyaluronic acid size. We observed slightly increased incorporation of tritiated proline into the concave side of angulated discs and compressed discs. Asymmetries of gene expression in Groups A and B and some group-wise differences did not identify consistent patterns associating the discs’ responses to mechanical alterations.

Conclusions

Intervertebral discs in this model underwent substantial narrowing after 5 weeks, with minimal alteration in tissue composition and minimal evidence of metabolic changes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, 434 Robert T. Stafford Hall, Burlington, VT, 05405-0084, USA

    Ian A. F. Stokes PhD, Carole A. McBride BS & David D. Aronsson MD

  2. Genetics Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, 1529 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A6, Canada

    Peter J. Roughley PhD

Authors
  1. Ian A. F. Stokes PhD
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  2. Carole A. McBride BS
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  3. David D. Aronsson MD
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  4. Peter J. Roughley PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian A. F. Stokes PhD.

Additional information

Author disclosures: IAFS (grant from National Institutes of Health [NIH] R01 AR 052132; support for travel to meetings for the study from NIH R01 AR 052132; consultancy for Kspine, Inc.); CM (grant from NIH R01 AR 052132); DDA (grant from NIH R01 AR 052132); PJR (none).

This work is supported by Grant R01 AR 052132 from the National institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Haddon Pantel provided technical support.

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Stokes, I.A.F., McBride, C.A., Aronsson, D.D. et al. Metabolic Effects of Angulation, Compression, and Reduced Mobility on Annulus Fibrosis in a Model of Altered Mechanical Environment in Scoliosis. Spine Deform 1, 161–170 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspd.2013.02.001

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspd.2013.02.001

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