Journal of anatomy
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The annulus-endplate anchorage system plays a vital role in structurally linking the compliant disc to its adjacent much more rigid vertebrae. Past literature has identified the endplate as a region of weakness, not just in the mature spine but also in the immature spine. The aim of this structural study was to investigate in detail the morphological changes associated with annulus-endplate integration through different stages of maturity. ⋯ Microscopically, the sub-bundles in both immature age groups appeared to fade into the surrounding tissue due to their fibril-level integration with the cartilaginous endplate tissue, this mechanism being particularly complex in the spring lamb disc. However, in the fully mature disc, the sub-bundles remained as separate entities throughout the full depth of their anchorage into the cartilaginous endplate. Cell morphology was also found to vary with maturity within the cartilaginous matrix and it is proposed that this relates to endplate development and ossification.