Menopause causes vertebral endplate degeneration and decrease in nutrient diffusion to the intervertebral discs.

The vasculature in the outer annulus supplies only the periphery of the disc so that nutrition to the bulk of the disc, including all the inner annulus and nucleus pulposus, is derived from the vertebral epiphyseal end arteries where nutrients diffuse across the cartilaginous endplate to reach the d... View More