https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00256-021-03846-0
The spine has two basic components, the bones of the spine called the vertebrae and the spinal disc in-between them. On the ends of the vertebrae there are two specific areas which are remnants of growth plates called end plates. These endplates are very important as they supply the disc above/below it with blood. The spinal discs have some blood vessels on the outside of them but the centre of the disc is mainly supplied by these endplates. This study looked at the effects of fractures through these endplates on the spinal disc. They found that people who had previously fractured the endplates of the vertebrae had increased disc degeneration. Therefore, endplate fracture is a large risk factor for developing degenerative disc disease.
