Age features of structural rearrangements of the vertebral motor segment in conditions of limited motor activity

Abstract

Purpose: o study in the age aspect structural changes of the lumbar intervertebral discs and adjacent structures of the spine of rats with limited motor activity to determine the patterns of their restructuring under conditions of experimental hypokinesia. Material & Methods: study was performed in an experiment on male Wistar rats of different ages. The hypokinesia regimen was achieved by keeping animals in small cells, which restricted movement. The research methods included morphometry, macro- and microscopy, standard histology methods with hematoxylin-eosin and picrofuchsin staining according to Van Gieson, as well as statistical analysis of the data were obtained. Results: it is determined that the restriction of mobility contributed to the change of all parts of the vertebral motor segment. The shape and linear dimensions of the intervertebral discs change, the level of its diffuse feeding from the vertebral bodies decreases. Conclusions: it has been established that the absence of mechanical stimulation of intervertebral disks, in the mode of experimental hypokinesia, reduces the level of metabolism in cells, inhibits the processes of adaptive tissue remodeling and contributes to the disruption of intact structures.

Keywords

• experimental hypokinesia
• vertebral motor segment
• intervertebral disk