Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39633187›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025

The role of loading-induced convection versus diffusion on the transport of small molecules into the intervertebral disc.

Elias Salzer, Zahra Gorgin Karaji, Marina van Doeselaar, Marianna A Tryfonidou, Keita Ito

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In one paragraph

Article in 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, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Intervertebral disc degeneration.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Elias SalzerOrthopaedic Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8711-4243
Zahra Gorgin KarajiOrthopaedic Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Marina van DoeselaarOrthopaedic Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Marianna A TryfonidouDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Keita ItoOrthopaedic Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. k.ito@tue.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-7372-4072

Funding

Horizon 2020 825925Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 10025453
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLimited nutrient transport is hypothesized to be involved in intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. It is widely recognized that the dominant mode of transport of small molecules such as glucose is via diffusion, rather than convection. However, recent findings suggest a role for convection-induced by fast (motion-related) and slow (diurnal) dynamic loading in molecular transport of even such small solutes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fluid exchange induced by simulated physiological loading (composed of both fast cyclic or slower diurnal loading) can influence the molecular transport of a small molecule through the cartilage endplate (CEP) into the nucleus pulposus (NP) of IVDs.

methodsThe molecular transport of fluorescein through the CEP and into the NP was studied in a bovine CEP/NP explant model and loading was applied by an axial compression bioreactor. The loaded explants (convection and diffusion) were compared to unloaded explants (diffusion alone).

resultsIn the initial 24 h, there were no differences between loaded and unloaded explants, indicating that convection did not enhance molecular transport of small solutes over diffusion alone. Notably, after 48 h which corresponds to two complete diurnal cycles of tissue compression, fluid exudation/imbibing and redistribution, the fluorescein concentration was significantly increased in the top and bottom layer of the explant, when compared to the unloaded explant.

conclusionsSlower diurnal cyclic compression of the IVD might enhance the transport of small molecules into the IVD although it could not be discerned whether this was due to diffusion/convection or a combination.

Indexed as

Intervertebral DiscNucleus PulposusWeight-BearingAnimalsBiological TransportCattleConvectionDiffusionFluoresceinFluoresceinBioreactorDiurnal loadingDynamic loadingEx vivoNucleus pulposus and cartilage endplate

Identifiers

PMID39633187

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.