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Q. What is the difference between a desiccated disc and a normal functioning disc?

 

A. Desiccation means “dried up.” When we are young, the nucleus of intervertebral disc has high water content and appears as a bright white signal on an MRI scan. As we age, the chemical structure of the nucleus changes and loses its ability to act as a biological sponge and absorb water to act as a hydraulic shock absorber.