Lumbar Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

It has been our immense honor to serve as guest editors for this focus issue addressing lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration for the Orthopedic Clinics of North America . Throughout the years, we have come to appreciate and understand that disk degeneration is a complex, multifactorial condition that intrigues as well as perplexes. As such, disk degeneration continues to captivate the imagination and creativity of many physicians and researchers alike striving to understand its etiology and function, its role in the development of pain, and various treatment modalities. It is due to such devotion by many throughout the years that we are at an age where unique and novel therapies, such as artificial disk replacement, tissue engineering, molecular and genetic interventions, and stem cell use, have been developed to treat disk degeneration. Therefore, we hope that this focus issue will raise awareness of such developments and new technologies in the horizon.

This focus issue is not a product of one man or woman but a collaborative effort by many. We are fortunate to have contributions from worldwide leaders in the field of spine surgery, radiology, rehabilitation, epidemiology, and basic science that have come together to offer their insights toward a very complex topic. There is an old Chinese proverb that states, “In a dark world, do not try to bring light to everything but try to light at least one candle.” In line with this thinking, disk degeneration is regarded by many as the last frontier of spine conditions and disorders that at times its understanding is in our grasp and at other times it continues to elude us. Attempting to illuminate upon the complexities of this field is a daunting task. However, trying to bring to the forefront some of the more pressing issues will hopefully shed some light. We hope that each of these articles lights a “candle,” stirring discussion and motivating action.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the journal’s previous managing editor, Deb Dellapena, for her support of this focus issue. Furthermore, we are in tremendous appreciation of the current managing editor, David Parsons, and his entire staff for all of their countless hours and patience devoted to this initiative. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to our families, friends, and colleagues for their support. In particular, we remain indebted to all of the authors of this focus issue and their wonderful contributions. Such collective contributions further stress the need for a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach toward advances in understanding and treating disk degeneration. In closing, we hope that this focus issue addressing lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration is informative and insightful. However, more importantly, we hope this journal issue will inspire the physician and researcher to further broaden the understanding of this condition by striving to advance medical knowledge to ultimately improve patient care, outcomes, and quality of life.

Sincerely,

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