142 Intradiscal Injection of Simvastatin Results in Radiologic, Histologic, and Genetic Evidence of Disc Regeneration in a Rat Model of Degenerative Disc Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND CONTEXT-A large percentage of back pain can be attributed to degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is known to play an important role in chondrogenesis of the IVD. Simvastatin is known to up-regulate expression of BMP-2. Thus, we hypothesized that intradiscal injection of simvastatin in a rat model of degenerative disc disease (DDD) would result in retardation of DDD.