Fig. 1

Destruction of cartilage endplate in IVDD patients and LSI model. a Cheese-like endplate in patients with lumbar degeneration. b Representative H&E and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of endplates in patients with lumbar degeneration. c Schematic diagram of the LSI surgery. d Top, representative 3D Micro-CT images of the mouse caudal endplates of L4/5 (coronal view) at 8 weeks after LSI or sham surgery. Bottom, quantitative analysis of the total porosity and trabecular separation (Tb. Sp). e Representative SOFG staining images of the CEP in mice with LSI or sham surgery for 8 weeks. f Endplate scores of the caudal endplates based on (e). g, h Left, representative IF staining images of the Collagen II and Collagen X (green) in the CEP. Right, quantitative analysis of the percentage of each area in CEP. **P < 0.01