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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
06:22
Optical Sectioning and Visualization of the Intervertebral Disc from Embryonic Development to Degeneration
Published on: July 8, 2021
Electron Microscopic Insights into Degenerating Lumbar Intervertebral Disc: A Prospective, Cohort Study
Prashant Lakhe1, Chayanika Kutum2, Anil Kumar Bc1
1Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Asian Journal of Neurosurgery
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Electron microscopy revealed ultrastructural changes in degenerating discs, linking chondrocyte clustering and inclusion bodies to increased low back pain severity and duration. These findings offer potential markers for disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Cell Biology
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Degenerative disc disease is a major cause of chronic low back pain.
- Radiological and histological assessments often do not fully explain pain severity.
- Ultrastructural changes at the cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) level are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate ultrastructural alterations in lumbar intervertebral disc tissue using electron microscopy (EM).
- Correlate EM findings with clinical symptoms (pain severity, duration) and radiological features (Pfirrmann grade, Modic changes).
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study of 50 patients undergoing lumbar discectomy.
- Analysis of disc tissue using electron microscopy (EM).
- Correlation of EM findings with clinical parameters (VAS score, symptom duration) and MRI features (Pfirrmann grade, Modic changes).
Main Results:
- Chondrocyte clustering (88%) and intracellular inclusion bodies (56%) were prevalent EM findings.
- Both chondrocyte clustering and inclusion bodies significantly correlated with higher VAS scores and longer symptom duration.
- These ultrastructural changes increased with higher Pfirrmann grades, indicating association with disc degeneration severity.
Conclusions:
- Electron microscopy (EM) identified significant ultrastructural changes in degenerating lumbar discs.
- Chondrocyte clustering and inclusion bodies are potential morphological markers for assessing disease severity and chronicity in degenerative disc disease.
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