The human intervertebral disc is a deceptively simple structure which plays an essential role in human movement. Even slight changes to the disc microenvironment can have far reaching consequences, particularly when these changes result in disc degeneration and herniation. Degeneration is increasingly tied to lower back pain; better understanding this...
This work describes a method for incorporating patient data into a nutrient transport model of the intervertebral disc.This data was collected using MRI diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and was converted into an apparent diffusion coefficient map (ADC map). This map was used to define the diffusion behavior of water within...