They consist of a layer ofcartilageand a layer of porous bone.
They also are the passageway through which blood and nutrients make their way to the discs.
The injury or degeneration of the endplates in thelumbar (lower) spinemay cause certain types of back pain.
CNRI / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Endplates in thecervical (neck) spinewill be smaller, while endplates in the lumbar spine will be larger.
In young adults, vertebral endplates are dense, thick, and curved.
Causes
Endplates are vulnerable to damage when compressed by an injury or an inactive lifestyle.
When endplates begin to deteriorate,inflammationincreases and lesions start to develop on the spine.
In its advanced stages, endplate degeneration is calledendplate sclerosis(sclerosis meaning “hardening”).
For this reason, healthcare providers often overlook this when investigating the cause of low back pain.
Improving back functionality is key so you can overcoming the pain and limitations that come from endplate degeneration.
And people who are overweight will have faster and more profound degeneration of their vertebral endplates.
It is never too late to try and lose weight.
This procedure involves stimulating the growth of new bone between two vertebrae.
Sometimes the disc between them as well as the endplate are removed to allow the vertebrae to fuse.
2019;(18)10351040. doi:10.1007/s00586-009-0938-4
