Mesenchymal stem cells: potential application in intervertebral disc regeneration

Chronic low back pain is a widespread condition which affects a large portion of the population and is the predominant cause of disability, resulting in huge cost implications, economic outlay and health provisions (1). Causing approximately $50 billion of estimated expenditure in the USA alone and with 210,000 Australians developing chronic low back pain annually the costs are increasing, with the direct cost of $1.2 billion in Australia in 2001 (2,3)