Although there have been significant advancements in minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques in the last few decades, optimal outcomes for chronic low back pain remain elusive. A number of promising clinical trials have been conducted using tissue engineering and biological interventions for disc degeneration. Written by renowned innovators, this is the first book that covers implementation of these groundbreaking approaches for disc disease. The text begins with key fundamentals including anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, imaging and biomechanics to delineate healthy versus diseas.

• Biological Approaches to Spinal Disc Repair and Regeneration for Clinicians
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Contributors
• Part I: Basics
  • 1. The Human Spinal Disc: Relevant Anatomy and Physiology
  • 2. Pathophysiology of Disc Disease: Disc Degeneration
  • 3. Imaging of the Healthy and Diseased Spinal Disc
  • 4. Biomechanics of the Healthy and Diseased Spine
• Part II: Experimental Techniques
  • 5. Differences between Human and Animal Discs: Pros and Cons of Current Animal Models for Preclinical Development of Biological Therapies for Low Back Pain
  • 6. Grading Scales for Disc Degeneration and Regeneration: Clinical and Experimental
  • 7. Disc Regeneration: In Vitro Approaches and Experimental Results
  • 8. Intervertebral Disc Whole Organ Cultures
• Part III: Treatment Strategies
  • 9. Biological Treatment Approaches: Basic Ideas and Principles
  • 10. Learning from Successes of Tissue Engineering Strategies for Cartilaginous Disorders
  • 11. Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease and Disc Regeneration: Proteins and Genes
  • 12. Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease/Disc Regeneration: Growth Factors and Platelet Rich Plasma
  • 13. Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease/Disc Regeneration: Stem Cells, Chondrocytes or Other Cells, and Tissue Engineering
  • 14. Nucleus Replacement and Repair: Autologous Disc Chondrocyte Transplantation
  • 15. Annulus Fibrosus Repair
• Part IV: Clinical Experience
  • 16. Summary of Clinical Trials with Biological Treatment Approaches for Spinal Disease
  • 17. Total Disc Transplantation: Current Results and Future Development
  • 18. What Have We Learned from Mechanical Total Disc Replacement?
  • 19. Regulatory Overview: Obtaining Regulatory Approval of a Biological/Cell Product
  • 20. What Makes Biological Treatment Strategies and Tissue Engineering for DDD Interesting to Industry?
• Part V: Outlook
  • 21. What Will the Future Bring? Perspectives From Around the World
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Index