Spine Biology
A 45-year-old man presents with progressive low back pain and MRI shows disc desiccation at L4-L5 with loss of T2 signal intensity. The orthopaedic registrar is preparing for the FRACS examination and is asked about the normal structure and composition of the intervertebral disc during their viva. Regarding the anatomy and composition of the intervertebral disc:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
The intervertebral disc consists of three anatomical regions: the central nucleus pulposus, the surr...
The annulus fibrosus consists of 15-25 concentric lamellae of type I collagen fibers oriented at alt...
The nucleus pulposus contains predominantly type I collagen for tensile strength; the annulus fibros...
The cartilaginous endplate is a thin layer (0.5-1mm) of hyaline cartilage that separates the disc fr...
The intervertebral disc is the largest avascular structure in the body; nutrition occurs primarily b...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option