JOR Spine最新文献

{"title":"Characterization of Ovine Intervertebral Disc Health Across the Lifespan: Relationships Between Quantitative MRI, Radiological, Histological, Biochemical, and Biomechanical Assessments","authors":"Yaqoub Yusuf,&nbsp;Rebecca E. Abbott,&nbsp;Erick O. Buko,&nbsp;Kayla L. Chase,&nbsp;Alaina L. Falck,&nbsp;Diana Pendleton,&nbsp;Kathleen A. McDermott,&nbsp;Alexandra R. Armstrong,&nbsp;Elizabeth W. Bradley,&nbsp;Casey P. Johnson,&nbsp;Arin M. Ellingson","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.70169","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration contributes significantly to chronic low back pain and represents a major clinical challenge. Quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques offer the potential to assess biochemical and structural disc changes noninvasively, but its use has been slow to be incorporated into studies utilizing spontaneous large animal models. This study characterizes qMRI-derived biomarkers of IVD degeneration across the lifespan in a clinically relevant ovine model.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ex vivo thoracolumbar spine segments from 10 sheep (13–130 months old) were assessed using 3T MRI, including T2, T2*, T1ρ, adiabatic T1ρ, adiabatic T2ρ, and ADC mapping. Relaxation times were compared with Pfirrmann grade, disc height index, biomechanical testing, GAG/water content, and histological scores.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>T2 and T2* values in the nucleus pulposus (NP) were negatively correlated with age, Pfirrmann grade, and histological degeneration, and positively correlated with GAG and water content. T2 relaxation times in the annulus fibrosus (AF) were inversely related to biomechanical stiffness, whereas T2* relaxation times in the NP were positively associated. Strong inter-metric correlations were observed between most qMRI measures, but aT1ρ and ADC showed more distinct profiles.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings support the sensitivity of qMRI in detecting regional and age-related IVD changes and reinforce its utility for noninvasive disc assessment in translational models of degeneration.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jsp2.70169","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147566590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Severity Prediction of Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury With an AI Model Based on MRI Radiomics","authors":"Chunshuai Wu,&nbsp;Chaochen Li,&nbsp;Guanhua Xu,&nbsp;Jiajia Chen,&nbsp;Liangliang Wang,&nbsp;Haiyan Gu,&nbsp;Jinlong Zhang,&nbsp;Hongxiang Hong,&nbsp;Chunyan Ji,&nbsp;Zhiming Cui","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70167","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70167","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI) often leads to significant patient paralysis. Current clinical diagnosis relies heavily on empirical interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade, lacking robust quantitative markers to precisely reflect injury severity. This study aimed to build an artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline for AIS grade prediction based on radiomic features extracted from manually defined regions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We included 189 patients with TCSCI who underwent MRI within 48 h post-injury. MRI images from 130 patients were used for developing an AI model encompassing image segmentation. Radiomic features were extracted from manually delineated volumes of interest (VOIs). T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) sagittal images were randomly divided into training (<i>n</i> = 104), validation (<i>n</i> = 13), and test (<i>n</i> = 13) sets for segmentation. A total of 183 patients (excluding AIS E) were included in the AIS grade prediction task. Model performance was evaluated using mean dice similarity coefficient (mDICE), mean intersection over union (mIOU), mean specificity, and mean sensitivity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An optimized UCTransnet network, leveraging a Transformer architecture for formal training, combined with a U-Net++ network for pretraining, achieved promising results in segmenting the spinal cord injury site on T2WI sagittal images (mDICE: 0.777 ± 0.021, mIOU: 0.646 ± 0.025, mean specificity: 0.998 ± 0.001, mean sensitivity: 0.895 ± 0.015). Subsequently, an ensemble model (we named Em-En) constructed using selected radiomic features from the manual VOIs demonstrated superior performance for predicting AIS grades in terms of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and clinical decision-making benefit compared to other tested models.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study presents an AI-assisted pipeline for predicting the severity of TCSCI. The developed resources provide a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of AI-assisted diagnostic methods, potentially lowering the interpretation barrier for MRI and offering clinicians preliminary quantitative indicators of injury severity. The source code is publicly available.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12966994/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147377744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanosensitive Ion Channel PIEZO1 Suppresses BMP2-Induced Ossification of the Annulus Fibrosus Cells","authors":"Hisakazu Shitozawa,&nbsp;Ryo Nakamichi,&nbsp;Aki Yoshida,&nbsp;Masataka Ueda,&nbsp;Taichi Saito,&nbsp;Koji Uotani,&nbsp;Yoshiaki Oda,&nbsp;Ryo Takatori,&nbsp;Kazutaka Yamashita,&nbsp;Toshifumi Ozaki","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70168","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Major cause of low-back pain is intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), with mechanical stress playing a crucial role in its progression. A mechanosensitive ion channel, PIEZO1, is involved in various musculoskeletal tissues, but its role in the annulus fibrosus (AF) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the function of PIEZO1 in AF cells under mechanical stimulation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Primary rat AF cells were subjected to cyclic tensile strain (CTS) at low (2%) and high (12%) strain levels to investigate strain-dependent effects on osteogenic gene expression. We evaluated the effects of <i>Piezo1</i>, <i>Piezo2</i>, and <i>Trpv4</i> knockdown by RNA interference to identify the upstream mechanotransducer. Furthermore, PIEZO1 was activated using the agonist Yoda1, followed by RNA-sequencing analysis and evaluation of its effects on BMP2-induced osteogenesis in rat AF cells. We also examined the effects of Yoda1 in primary human AF cells.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Low-strain CTS significantly suppressed osteogenic marker expression, which was not observed with high strain. <i>Piezo1</i> knockdown reversed this suppression, whereas <i>Piezo2</i> and <i>Trpv4</i> had no effect. Piezo1 activation by Yoda1 produced similar anti-osteogenic effects in both rat and human AF cells. RNA sequencing revealed the enrichment of ossification and calcineurin signaling pathways in rat cells. Furthermore, Piezo1 activation inhibited BMP2-induced osteogenesis and nuclear translocation of p-Smad1/5/9.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Piezo1 maintains AF cell homeostasis under mechanical stress by suppressing osteogenic changes via calcineurin-mediated inhibition of BMP signaling, which may represent a novel therapeutic target for IVDD.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12954436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147355113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing Movement Patterns and Physical Function Between Chronic Low Back Pain Patients With Nociplastic and Nociceptive Pain Categories","authors":"Erin Archibeck,&nbsp;Nicholas Harris,&nbsp;Patricia Zheng,&nbsp;Aaron Scheffler,&nbsp;Wolf Mehling,&nbsp;Conor O'Neill,&nbsp;Jeffrey Lotz,&nbsp;Grace O'Connell,&nbsp;Jeannie F. Bailey,&nbsp;REACH Investigators","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70166","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP) often present with significant physical dysfunction. The underlying cause is difficult to diagnose due to the heterogeneous nature of LBP categories.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two hundred and fifty-six patients were assessed as having either nociceptive (NC) or nociplastic (NP) chronic low back pain using validated surveys, including the PainDETECT Questionnaire and a chronic overlapping pain condition screener. Additional covariates of anxiety, depression, and fear avoidance were evaluated using standard surveys. Physical function was judged objectively using a sit-to-stand test (STS; quantified using marker-less motion capture calculated kinematic scores and movement metrics) and subjectively (PROMIS-physical function survey). Demographics (age, sex, BMI), psychological factors, and biomechanical outcomes were compared across pain categories using nonparametric statistics and regression modeling.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Compared to the NC group, the NP group was significantly older (NP: 61.0 ± 21.0, NC: 53.5 ± 29.3, <i>p</i> = 0.03) and reported higher levels of anxiety (NP: 51.2 ± 17.4, NC: 48.0 ± 13.4, <i>p</i> = 0.002) and depression (NP: 49.0 ± 14.7, NC: 41.0 ± 10.8, <i>p</i> = 0.009). NP also had worse perceived physical function (PROMIS-PF) (NP: 39.3 ± 6.9, NC: 42.1 ± 7.3, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and slower STS times (NP: 12.5 ± 6.1 s, NC: 12.0 ± 5.8, <i>p</i> = 0.03). Despite these differences, the NP group exhibited biomechanical function closer to the healthy control average motion trajectory (K-score; NP: 77.6 ± 8.1, NC: 75.6 ± 8.1, <i>p</i> = 0.03) during the STS task. Regression models evaluating the association between biomechanical variables and pain categories, while adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, identified significant differences between pain categories only for PROMIS-physical function.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>While individuals with nociplastic pain reported lower perceived physical function and exhibited differences in demographic and psychological factors, pain categories were not significant predictors of objective biomechanical measures after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. However, pain category was a significant predictor of PROMIS-PF, suggesting that it is more closely associated with perceived functional limitations than with quantitative biomechanical performance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12950820/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147348353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chondroitinase Versus Papain Digestion Leads to Different Outcome for In Vitro Simulation of Degenerated Discs","authors":"Jan Ulrich Jansen,&nbsp;Graciosa Quelhas Teixeira,&nbsp;Elias Salzer,&nbsp;Andrea Vernengo,&nbsp;Sibylle Grad,&nbsp;Keita Ito,&nbsp;Cornelia Neidlinger-Wilke,&nbsp;Hans-Joachim Wilke","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70164","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70164","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biomaterials play an increasing role in intervertebral disc regeneration and require preclinical testing, typically performed using organ culture and in vitro models. Native human discs are limited, and animal models often fail to mimic human disc degeneration. Thus, enzymes like chondroitinase ABC (chABC) and papain are used to simulate degenerative tissue changes and enable biomaterial injection. In previous work, we characterized the biomechanical and morphological effects of papain, which forms cavities in the disc. In contrast, chABC does not form cavities, but its biomechanical effects remain insufficiently characterized. This study aims to evaluate the macroscopic and biomechanical effects of chABC—specifically, range of motion (ROM), neutral zone (NZ), and disc height—in a bovine organ culture model, and assess the distribution of an injected hydrogel, comparing the results to published papain data.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Four groups of fresh bovine tail segments were prepared (<i>n</i> ≥ 10) and three received injections of chABC, papain, or PBS, followed by 7 days of culture. For papain and PBS, published data were supplemented with new specimens. Complex simulated physiological loading was applied to diminish disc swelling. The maximum volume of a serum-albumin-hydrogel was injected into all four groups. ROM, NZ, and disc height were measured before and after enzyme treatment, loading, and injection. Post-injection, microCT scans visualized material distribution within the discs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>ChABC increased ROM by up to 92.1%, NZ by up to 79.4%, and decreased disc height by 2.1 mm. Hydrogel injection decreased ROM and NZ but increased disc height in all groups while enzyme treatments allowed more hydrogel injection (0.6 mL for chABC). Exemplary scans showed cloud-like hydrogel spread for chABC and a round-shaped degradation defect for papain.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings indicate that chABC better simulates disc degeneration, whereas papain better models nucleotomies, and both enzymes preserve annulus integrity—providing valuable models for biomechanical testing.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12950828/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147348333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"JORSpine Reviewer Acknowledgement 2025","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.70162","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;JORSpine extends our gratitude and recognition to the many scientists who contributed as peer reviewers between January 1, 2025 and December 30, 2025. Their efforts greatly improved not only individual manuscripts but the quality of the journal and overall research in the field of orthopaedics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cai, Xian-Hua&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Abd-El-Hafeez Tarek&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Agavriloaei, Loredana Mariana&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Akeda Koji&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alfraihat, Ausilah&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alini, Mauro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ambrosio, Luca*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Anderst, William J.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bao, Hongda&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Baral, Sundar&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Barber, Lauren&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bashkuev, Maxim&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bhadouria, Neharika&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bonassar, Lawrence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bowden, Anton&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bowle,s Robert D.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Buckley, Conor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cai Weiye&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Castro, Andre P. G.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chan, Danny&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chee, Ana&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chen, Xiaolong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chen, Feng&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chen, Xiaolong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cho, Woojin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chou, Po-Hsin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cina, Andrea&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Conte, Vito&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Conticello, Salvatore&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Coveney, Clarissa&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Creemers, Laura&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dahia, Chitra Lekha&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dakić, Tamara&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dalton, Diane&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Demura, Satoru&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Diaz-Hernandez, Martha&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Diwan, Ashish&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dudli, Stefan*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Duncan Neil&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eksi, Murat Sakir&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Elgueta-Cancino, Edith&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Erwin, Mark&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fields, Aaron J.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fredericks, Douglas&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fujita, Nobuyuki&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gantenbein, Benjamin*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gawri, Rahul&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Giers, Morgan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gómez, Liñán Claudia&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Goyal, Archit&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grad, Sibylle&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grant, Michael P.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grant, audrey&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gregory, Diane&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Grol, Matthew&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gualillo, Oreste&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guha, Daipayan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gullbrand, Sarah*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Haas, Mitchell&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hadley Miller, Nancy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Haglund, Lisbet&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hai Yong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He, Junhui&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Henke Katrin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hiyama, Akihiko*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Holguin, Nilsson&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hong, Zhenghua&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hsu, Erin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Huihao Wang&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hutchinson, Jeffrey&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Iatridis, James&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Illien-Jünger, Svenja&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Isa, Isma Liza Mohd&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ito, Keita*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jacobsen, Timothy D.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jansen, Jan Ulrich&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jeng, Yeau-Ren&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jiao Yucheng&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Johnson, Casey&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kazemi Naeini, Maryam&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kim, Min Kyu Mark&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kita, Kosuke&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Korkusuz, Petek&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kruyt, Moyo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kumar, Pravir&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Laagland, Lisanne&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Larson, Robert&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Le Maitre, Christine&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Le Visage, Catherine&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lee, Ching Yu&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leung, Victor&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LI, WENLE&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Li, Xudong (Joshua)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Li, Zhen&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liang, Weishi&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liebsch, Christian&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ling, Zeming&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Little, Christopher B&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liu, Xinyu&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liu, Xuhui&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liu, Fei&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Liu, Zongchao&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lotz, Jeffrey&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lu, Shibao&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lukas, Louis Philipp&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ma, Junxuan*&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Määttä, Juhani&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maldaner, Nicolai&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Manchikanti, Laxmaiah&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Martin, John&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Matherne, Marguerite&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;McSweeney, Terence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mei, Yongliang&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mengoni, Marlène&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Michalek, Arthur&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Millard, Susan M.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mkochi, Vincent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Monzon, Maria&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moriarty, Fintan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Muñoz-Moya, Estefano&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Murata, Koichi&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nakashima, Hiroaki&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jsp2.70162","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147299916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing Basic and Preclinical Spine Research: Highlights From the ORS PSRS 7th International Spine Research Symposium","authors":"Chitra L. Dahia,&nbsp;Lachlan J. Smith,&nbsp;Makarand V. Risbud,&nbsp;Benjamin Gantenbein","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70161","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The seventh biennial ORS-PSRS International Spine Research Symposium was held from November 10-14, 2024, at Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania, USA. Jointly organized by the PSRS and ORS, the meeting brought together over 195 participants from 13 countries. Selected contributors were invited to submit full-length manuscripts for this JOR Spine Special Issue.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12918395/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147271109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined Flexion, Torsion and Compression Drive Distinct Intervertebral Disc Failure Mechanisms Under Asymmetric, High-Cycle Loading","authors":"Amra Šećerović,&nbsp;Aapo Ristaniemi,&nbsp;Francesco Crivelli,&nbsp;Sarah Heub,&nbsp;Mauro Alini,&nbsp;Gilles Weder,&nbsp;Diane Ledroit,&nbsp;Stephen J. Ferguson,&nbsp;Sibylle Grad","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70163","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70163","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Recent advancements in next-generation bioreactors have substantially improved the simulation of complex, detrimental spinal mechanics in ex vivo intervertebral disc models. This study investigated intervertebral disc responses to combined flexion, torsion, and static compression. A range of loading frequencies, magnitudes, and patterns was applied to identify conditions that contribute to disc degeneration under complex motion.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Twelve bovine coccygeal intervertebral discs (mean age 9 months) were subjected to three distinct loading regimes, with four samples per condition. Static compression of 0.1 MPa was combined with: (1) symmetrical 3° flexion/extension and 2° torsion, (2) symmetrical 6° flexion/extension and 4° torsion, and (3) asymmetrical 6° flexion and 4° torsion. Loading frequencies and durations ranged from 0.2 Hz for 1 h in symmetrical loading to 1 Hz for 2 h in asymmetrical loading over a 14-day period. Structural integrity, cell viability, tissue composition, and molecular responses were evaluated using histology, biochemical assays, and gene expression analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lower-cycle symmetrical flexion/extension and torsion, regardless of magnitude, preserved disc structure and maintained a high cell viability (88% ± 14%) across all disc regions. Higher cycle numbers and asymmetrical loading induced significant fissures in the outer annulus fibrosus (AF) on the tensed side (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01) and delamination on the compressed side. This structural damage occurred in AF regions with high cell viability (81% ± 17%), whereas significantly reduced cell viability was observed in the inner AF (30% ± 33%) and nucleus pulposus (28% ± 35%).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Under conditions of asymmetrical and more frequent loading, complex motion involving flexion, torsion, and compression led to structural damage in the outer disc regions and promoted cell death in inner regions. These region-specific responses suggest the independent development of distinct failure mechanisms contributing to disc degeneration. They also underscore the importance of developing targeted strategies that address both structural integrity and cellular resilience in degeneration models and therapeutic interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12892121/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146179882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reliability of Ultrasonography to Assess Spinal Compression During Heavy Load Carriage","authors":"Sherrilyn Walters,&nbsp;Ben Hoffman,&nbsp;Celeste E. Coltman,&nbsp;Lester Walters,&nbsp;Muneeb Iqbal,&nbsp;Dean E. Mills","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70137","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70137","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Back pain and spinal injury are leading contributors to premature retirement, particularly in physically demanding occupations. Direct and practical methods of spinal assessment are needed to evaluate interventions aimed at reducing spinal loading and injury risk. Ultrasonography has been reliably used to estimate spinal compression via intervertebral disc height, but its reliability for measuring inter-transverse process distances under load has not been established.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Eleven healthy adults underwent ultrasonographic measurement of inter-transverse process distances at each lumbar level (L1–L5), and the total lumbar distance under four loading conditions: (1) immediately on standing while unloaded, (2) after 15 min of unloaded standing, (3) after 15 min of standing loaded with a 25 kg weighted vest, and (4) after 30 min of loaded standing. These procedures were repeated after 1–7 days. Inter-rater, within-visit, and between-visit reliability were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and coefficients of variation (CV). Bland–Altman plots were used to assess agreement. A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of each loading condition on inter-transverse process distances.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Inter-rater, within-visit, and between-visit reliability was good to excellent with ICCs between 0.81 and 0.99 and CVs between 5.24% and 13.0% for all measurements. Inter-transverse process distances were reduced at L2/3 (<i>p</i> = 0.007), L3/4 (<i>p</i> = 0.006), and across the total lumbar distance (<i>p</i> = 0.02) following 15 and 30 min of loaded standing.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ultrasonography is a reliable, low-cost method for quantifying changes in lumbar spine geometry during loaded standing. This technique may have value in occupational and clinical settings for assessing spinal compression in response to mechanical load.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12891807/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146179843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancement in the Methods for Isolating High Quality RNA From Mouse and Rat Intervertebral Disc","authors":"Min Kyu M. Kim,&nbsp;Lauren E. Lisiewski,&nbsp;Hagar M. Kenawy,&nbsp;Nadeen O. Chahine","doi":"10.1002/jsp2.70157","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsp2.70157","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Extracting high-quality RNA from intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues poses a great technical challenge due to the presence of a proteoglycan-rich extracellular matrix and naturally occurring RNases. Current study aims to build on previously reported RNA isolation methods to develop sample preparation and RNA precipitation methods that yield high RNA integrity from mouse and rat IVD tissue sub-types reproducibly.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>High salt-isopropanol RNA precipitation was tested on three sample types. (1) Freshly dissected mouse IVD tissues: nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) tissues from mouse lumbar and caudal IVD tissues were collected in <i>RNAlater</i> and stored in TRIzol at −80°C. (2) Freshly dissected rat IVD tissues: NP and AF tissues from freshly dissected rat caudal IVD tissues were snap frozen or stored in <i>RNAlater</i> at −80°C. (3) Cultured rat IVD tissues stored at −80°C for &gt; 1 year: long-term stored rat caudal samples were thawed in <i>RNAlater-ICE</i> solution.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>RNA isolated from freshly dissected mouse lumbar and caudal NP tissues yielded a mean RNA integrity number (RIN) of 9.6 and 9.8, respectively. Mouse lumbar and caudal AF tissues yielded a mean RIN of 8.9 and 8.3, respectively. Snap frozen NP and AF rat tissues yielded a mean RIN of 9.1 and 7.4, respectively. NP and AF tissues stored in <i>RNAlater</i> yielded a mean RIN of 9.6 and 8.3, respectively. Addition of <i>RNAlater-ICE</i> to banked rat IVD samples yielded a mean RIN of 8.2 and 7.6 for NP and AF tissues, respectively.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study describes methods that reproducibly generate high-quality RNA from freshly dissected and stored IVD tissues from mice and rats. Notably, we highlight a method using <i>RNAlater-ICE</i> to yield high-quality RNA from banked rat IVD tissues. These methods will ensure reproducible molecular assessment of rodent IVD tissues to improve our understanding of IVD biology.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":14876,"journal":{"name":"JOR Spine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12862274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}