Stem Cells for the Treatment of Intervertebral Disk Degeneration

Low back pain and neck pain are the first and fourth leading causes, respectively, of years lived with disability. The treatment of intervertebral disk degeneration remains a significant challenge. While there are still many obstacles to overcome, the use of stem cells for the treatment of disk degeneration has emerged as one of the most promising and exciting techniques to restore the structure and function of the degenerated disk. The use of stem cells in treating intervertebral disk disease as well as the obstacles that remain are reviewed here in an evidence-based manner.