Cervical Spine Pathology Intervertebral Disc Annular Circumferential Tear physical therapy 3D animations. Maximal or repetitive sub-maximal stresses on the cartilage endplate, which sits between the intervertebral disc and the adjacent vertebral body, can damage this endplate.
Endplate damage can lead to fluid loss from the nucleus pulposus of the disc and a decrease in the nucleus' ability to absorb stress. The soft gel-like nucleus becomes drier and stiffer, more like crab-meat, as seen in these physical therapy 3D animations.
DISC TEAR
This in turn increases the stress through the posterior annulus and can lead to internal annulus tears that can be radial and/or circumferential. These tears can irritate the nerves in the outer annulus and cause pain.
The disc's attempts to repair the tear may stimulate nerves to grow into the tear. Cervical Spine Pathology Intervertebral Disc Annular Circumferential Tear physical therapy 3D animations.