DOI 10.1007/s00586-007-0483-y ABSTRACTS BIOSPINE 2 2nd International Congress Biotechnologies for Spinal Surgery Leipzig, Germany, 20â22 September, 2007 ABSTRACTS 1711 Results: 1) The inï¬uence of genes on disc degeneration. It has been shown in a Finnish twins study that genetic factors play a dominant role in determining who gets disc degeneration. If this is true then disc degeneration may be irreversible. 2) Is it possible to slow up or halt degeneration? If disc degeneration is reversible then what interventions offer the greatest hope? Is it growth factors or cells? Conclusion: The Holy Grail is to ï¬nd methods that can be used to detect the early onset of disc degeneration and then introduce an intervention that would retard or halt the degenerative process. Keywords: biomechanics, disc degeneration, animal models ORAL PRESENTATION O-001 Bioanatomy of the intervertebral disc space Wolfgang Rauschning Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Academic University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden Introduction: The intervertebral disc consists of the internal gelatinous nucleus pulposus surrounded by an external annulus ï¬brosus which is composed of concentric lamellae of ï¬brocartilage that run obliquely from one vertebra to another. The outermost annulus consists of dense collagen. Given the absence of blood vessels in the disc, any biological
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