Autoimmunity in degenerative disk disease. A histopathologic study.

Recently, on the basis of in vitro experiments, a number of workers have suggested that degenerative disk desease may have an autoimmune basis. In order to corroborate these findings, a histopathologic study was undertaken on 218 specimens. A series of 108 Schmorl's nodes and 110 intervertebral disks obtained at laminectomy were examined for an immune-reaction type of inflammatory cellular infiltrate. While no inflammatory cellular infiltrates were found in any of the specimens, there were granulation tissue ingrowths and vascular invasion. these pathologic findings may represent the body's response to mechanical injury rather than in inflammatory response to a thus far undefined antigen.