The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 58, Issue 1 73-76, Copyright © 1976 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Elastic fibers in human intervertebral discs
JA Buckwalter, RR Cooper and JA Maynard
Although previous studies failed to demonstrate elastic fibers in
intervertebral discs, electron microscopy of twenty human intervertebral
discs obtained at autopsy and operation revealed characteristic elastic
fibers in both the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. Their
contribution to the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc
remains to be determined.