Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Optical Sectioning and Visualization of the Intervertebral Disc from Embryonic Development to Degeneration

Optical Sectioning and Visualization of the Intervertebral Disc from Embryonic Development to Degeneration

Published on: July 8, 2021

Endplate Defect Is Heritable, Associated With Low Back Pain and Triggers Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A

Sabrina Munir¹, Maxim B Freidin¹, Marinko Rade^2,3

¹Department of Twin Research, King's College London, London, UK.

|May 31, 2018

Abstract

Study Design:

Longitudinal study of spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a large-scale population-based study.

Objective:

To determine the order of appearance of degenerative change in vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. We also sought to define the influence of endplate defect on low back pain (LBP) and to determine whether there is a genetic influence on endplate defect.

Summary Of Background Data:

Endplate defect is a magnetic resonance imaging trait, found to be associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. There is a lack of understanding regarding the mechanism underlying lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). Recent attention has shifted to vertebral endplate defects and their role in spine degeneration pathology.

Methods:

Individuals from the TwinsUK spine study having longitudinal T2-weighted lumbar MR scans at baseline (n = 996) and a decade later (n = 438) were included. LDD, vertebral endplate defect by calculating a total endplate score, and Modic change (MC) were assessed using standard techniques. Mixed-effects models were used to determine the association between the features of spine pathology, adjusted for covariates. Endplate defect heritability was estimated using variance component analysis.

Results:

Significant association was found between endplate defect, LDD, MRI features of LDD and MC was observed. Endplate defect was associated with severe disabling LBP (P ≤ 0.013) in multivariate analysis. An association between disc degeneration (DD) at baseline and MC at follow-up was shown at upper lumbar levels. Total endplate score was heritable with estimated additive genetic component A = 55.3% (95% CI 43.0-65.4).

Conclusion:

Endplate defect, LDD, and MC are all independent risk factors for episodes of severe and disabling LBP. Longitudinal analysis showed DD is followed by MC. Endplate defect has significant heritability of 55%. However, whether endplate defect triggers DD or these pathological changes occur concurrently could not be conclusively determined.

Level Of Evidence:

2.

More Related Videos

An In Vitro Organ Culture Model of the Murine Intervertebral Disc

An In Vitro Organ Culture Model of the Murine Intervertebral Disc

Published on: April 11, 2017

Ovine Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model Utilizing a Lateral Retroperitoneal Drill Bit Injury

Ovine Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model Utilizing a Lateral Retroperitoneal Drill Bit Injury

Published on: May 25, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...

Heritability

Heritability

Heritability is a statistical concept that measures the degree to which genetic differences among individuals contribute to trait variations within a population. It is a fundamental idea in genetics, often prone to misinterpretation. Heritability is expressed as a percentage, reflecting the proportion of variation in a specific trait across a population that can be linked to genetic differences. However, it's important to understand that heritability does not determine how "genetic"...

Longitudinal Research

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...

Lumber Defects

Lumber Defects

Lumber defects, which can affect both the appearance and structural integrity of wood, include a variety of growth and manufacturing flaws. Growth defects such as knots and knotholes occur where branches were once attached to the tree trunk, with knotholes forming when these knots fall out. Other natural defects include decay and insect damage, which compromise the wood's strength and durability.
Shakes are minor fractures that run along or across the wood's annual rings, while wane is...

Pain

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...

Analgesia and Pain Management

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Associations between different sports and low back pain: a population-based study with a 15-year follow-up.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2026

Effectiveness of psychologically informed physical therapy, tendon-specific exercise program and routine physical therapy in prolonged unilateral shoulder pain and symptom correlations with imaging: a single-center, randomized, parallel-group, three-arm study (RESPECT).

Contemporary clinical trials·2026

Prevalence of Lumbar MRI Changes Associated with Nerve Root Compression Among Middle-aged People - A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study.

Spine·2026

Translational perspectives of next-generation cytokine therapies for musculoskeletal disorders.

Cytokine·2026

The genetic architecture of fibromyalgia across 2.5 million individuals.

Nature medicine·2026

Sex-Dependent Association of SMAD3 Gene Polymorphisms With Asthma and Allergy Risk in Russian Children.

Frontiers in bioscience (Scholar edition)·2026

See all related articles