ArticleArthritis research & therapy2015
Nerves are more abundant than blood vessels in the degenerate human intervertebral disc.
Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06664931 (Muscle Energy Versus Mulligan Techniques in Treating Patients With Cervical Spondylosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 69 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Muscle Energy Versus Mulligan Techniques in Treating Patients With Cervical Spondylosis
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 105 citations in OpenAlex.
- Single-cell multi-omics defines H3K27me3 remodelling in intervertebral disc degeneration with implications for regenerative intervention.Bone research · 2026Article
- Article
- Magnetoencephalography changes in cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a study of resting-state and somatosensory evoked magnetic fields.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 · 2026Article
- Organ-on-a-Chip Technology: Advances in Modeling Inflammation, Neurovascularization and Nociception in Human Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.Smart medicine · 2026Review
- Single-nuclei RNA sequencing reveals distinct transcriptomic signatures of rat dorsal root ganglia in a chronic discogenic low back pain model.The journal of pain · 2026Article
- A Proteomic Glance at the Bovine Intervertebral Disc.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- From Modic changes to the disc-endplate-bone marrow complex: imaging stratification, immune remodeling, and translational implications in intervertebral disc degeneration.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Neuroregulatory Biomaterials for Intervertebral Disc Regeneration via Neuro-Disc Microenvironment Modulation.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Review
- C-1101 multi-protein platelet and plasma-derived therapeutic to treat chronic lumbosacral radiculopathy.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Understanding the Physiological Behavior of Disc Cells in an In Vitro Imitation of the Healthy and Degenerated Disc Niche.JOR spine · 2025Article
- Review
- What a pain in the back: etiology, diagnosis and future treatment directions for discogenic low back pain.Bone research · 2025Review
- Understanding the Microenvironment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Comprehensive Review of Pathophysiological Insights and Therapeutic Implications.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Ablation of VEGFA following a lumbar intervertebral disc injury attenuates intradiscal neurovascular features and prevents chronic low back pain symptoms.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Review
- Ectopic Nociceptor Sprouting as a Key Peripheral Driver of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis.Current rheumatology reports · 2025Review
- Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies of Macrophage Polarization in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.JOR spine · 2025Review
- Genetics- and age-driven neuroimmune and disc changes underscore herniation susceptibility and pain-associated behaviors in SM/J mice.Science advances · 2025Article
- Proteomic profiling of small extracellular vesicles from bovine nucleus pulposus cells.PloS one · 2025Article
- Nano-Drug Delivery System Targeting the Oxidative Stress Microenvironment: A Prospective Strategy for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Treatment.International journal of nanomedicine · 2025Review
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic low back pain (LBP) is the most common cause of disability worldwide. New ideas surrounding LBP are emerging that are based on interactions between mechanical, biological and chemical influences on the human IVD. The degenerate IVD is proposed to be innervated by sensory nerve fibres and vascularised by blood vessels, and it is speculated to contribute to pain sensation. However, the incidence of nerve and blood vessel ingrowth, as well as whether these features are always associated, is unknown. We investigated the presence of nerves and blood vessels in the nucleus pulposus (NP) of the IVD in a large population of human discs.
methodsImmunohistochemistry was performed with 61 human IVD samples, to identify and localise nerves (neurofilament 200 [NF200]/protein gene product 9.5) and blood vessels (CD31) within different regions of the IVD.
resultsImmunopositivity for NF200 was identified within all regions of the IVD within post-mortem tissues. Nerves were seen to protrude across lamellar ridges and through matrix towards NP cells. Nerves were identified deep within the NP and were in many cases, but not always, seen in close proximity to fissures or in areas where decreased matrix was seen. Fifteen percent of samples were degenerate and negative for nerves and blood vessels, whilst 16 % of all samples were degenerate with nerves and blood vessels. We identified 52% of samples that were degenerate with nerves but no blood vessels. Interestingly, only 4% of all samples were degenerate with no nerves but positive for blood vessels. Of the 85 samples investigated, only 6 % of samples were non-degenerate without nerves and blood vessels and 7% had nerves but no blood vessels.
conclusionsThis study addresses the controversial topic of nerve and blood vessel ingrowth into the IVD in a large number of human samples. Our findings demonstrate that nerves are present within a large proportion of NP samples from degenerate IVDs. This study shows a possible link between nerve ingrowth and degeneration of the IVD and suggests that nerves can migrate in the absence of blood vessels.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.