Vascular proliferation of the lumbar intervertebral discs during ageing

Background. The nutrition of the discs is realized by diffusion. The nutritients diffuse from blood vessels localized in outer part of annulus fibrosus and independently across the end plates from vertebral bodies. During ageing the blood vessels in the outer lamellae of the annulus fibrosus disappear, however in this same time the neovascularisation processes may occur within the various components of the disc. Material and methods. 308 lumbar discs were harvested during the autopsies. The symptoms and the degree of degeneration were evaluated followed by detection of neovascularisation. The vascularity pattern of discs was determined as. 1- blood vessels in longitudinal ligaments, single vessels penetrating annulus fibrosus, 2 - numerous cracks between longitudinal ligaments and annulus fibrosus, several blood vessels within these cracks, 3 - numerous blood vessels penetrating deeply the annulus fibrosus, 4 - blood vessels within the disc close to the centre of the end plate, 5 - blood vessels penetrating the annulus fibrosus from vertebral rim distally to the end plate. Results. The statistical analysis revealed relation between macroscopically determined degree of discs degeneration and vascularity pattern. The relation was found as well between the distribution of the vascularity pattern and specimens age. Conclusion. We can state that some kind of vascular proliferation occurs in the lumbar disc during the ageing (pattern 3 and 5). In our opinion, vessels found deep in discs (pattern 2 and 4) are related to the disc degeneration, but not for sure with disc herniation.