Mechanical loading represents an integral part of intervertebral disc (IVD) homeostasis. This review aims to summarise recent knowledge on the effects of mechanical loads on the IVD and the disc cells, taking into consideration the changes that IVDs undergo during ageing and degeneration, from the macroscopic to the cellular and subcellular level.
Johannessen et al. conducted an assessment on the recovery response of lumbar sheep discs subjected to extensive compressive cyclic loading, involving 10,000 cycles ranging from 50 N to 400 N at a frequency of 1 Hz. The discs underwent testing over a span of three days, with an 18-h unloading period allocated between each testing day.
Quantitative MR imaging of lumbar intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies: Influence of diurnal water content variations. Radiology, 188, 351–354. Karakida, O., Ueda, H., Ueda, M., & Miyasaka, T. (2003). Diurnal T2 value changes in the lumbar intervertebral discs.
These stimuli influence the metabolism and activity of the cells in the disc matrix. Intervertebral discs act as the joints between the bony vertebrae and provide the spinal column with mobility and flexibility.
During daily activities, the intervertebral disc is subjected not only to static loading but also to repetitive, physiological cyclic loading.
The relationship between intradiscal pressure and spinal load has been extensively explored in the context of lumbar intervertebral discs [21, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96], with relatively fewer studies focusing on thoracic and cervical [98, 99] intervertebral discs.