Wade Johannessen, Dawn M. Elliott
STUDY DESIGN: The biphasic compressive material properties of normal and degenerate human nucleus pulposus tissue were measured in confined compression. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of degeneration and age on the mechanical properties of human nucleus pulposus...
Dawn M. Elliott, Joseph J. Sarver
STUDY DESIGN: Measure the mechanical properties of the mouse and rat disc in compression and torsion. OBJECTIVES: Validate mouse and rat disc as a biomechanical model of the human disc by comparing the normalized properties in compression and torsion loading. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Rodents have...
Jordan M. Cloyd, Dawn M. Elliott
STUDY DESIGN: Quantitative study of elastin content in nondegenerate and degenerate human intervertebral discs. OBJECTIVE: To measure the site-specific changes in elastin content that accompany disc degeneration using a quantitative, dye-binding assay to assess elastin levels. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND ...
Joseph J. Sarver, Dawn M. Elliott
STUDY DESIGN: Mechanically test lumbar discs of transgenic mice in compression-tension and torsion. OBJECTIVES: Determine if a reduction in type I collagen results in decreased disc mechanics. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Quantitative relationships between disc structure and function would improve th...