Special Spine issue introduction

摘要

This issue is a compilation of articles focused on all aspects of spine research, ranging from noninvasive therapies to imaging to review of therapeutic options to basic science. The broad distribution of studies highlights the complexity of the spinal unit (including its intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies), our limited understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of disc degeneration, and also, perhaps not surprisingly, its relation to back pain or the best way to treat these disorders. These articles attempt to address these topics.