Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, entailing a significant socioeconomic impact. A primary source of back pain can be attributed to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration allowing nerve ingrowth, facet joint arthritis, disc bulging, and osteophyte formations that press on nearby nerve roots or the spinal cord. While...
There is no standardized method for culture of intervertebral disc (IVD) cells when monitoring metabolic processes. We hypothesize that the metabolic rates of cells that are crucial to experiment designs depend on the cell culture method used. The glycolytic pathway and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle are the pathways through...
Shoulder injuries, especially those caused by rotator cuff tears, are a pervasive problem in human and canine patients. The ability to quickly and accurately diagnose rotator cuff tears is important for early and targeted treatment. Prior clinical work has demonstrated that ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging effectively diagnose these tears....
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Morgan Giers
Shoulder injuries, especially those caused by rotator cuff tears, are a
The human intervertebral disc (IVD) provides support for the vertebral bodies, allowing for movement and load bearing. The IVD can degenerate with age or injury, impeding function and causing chronic pain. Despite disc degeneration affecting over 90% of adults over age 50, and back pain being the leading global cause...
The majority of people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is the leading cause of disability globally, ahead of 290 other conditions1. Over one million people in the United States receive spine surgery annually2. This thesis looked at five standard surgical procedures performed on...
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...
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is a phenomenon that has yet to be adequately addressed. Treatment options remain limited and incomplete. The ability to effectively cryopreserve IVDs would allow for better allograft transplantations and storage of samples for research purposes. This study aimed to assess how cryopreservation with different...
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...
Orthopaedic soft tissue degenerative diseases significantly affect the population, especially as it ages. Degeneration is characterized by a progressive loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) components necessary for the proper functioning of the tissues and joints, eventually leading to pain and dysfunction. In humans, the intervertebral disc (IVD) and tendon are...