The hierarchical structure of the intervertebral disc (approximately 45–55 mm diameter in the human lumbar spine and 2.5–5 mm in the rat coccygeal spine) is composed of the outer fiber-reinforced ...

Type 2 diabetes alters the behavior of discs in the vertebral column, making them stiffer, and also causes the discs to change shape earlier than normal. As a result, the disc's ability to withstand ...