Does Vibration Influence the Initiation of Intervertebral Disc Herniation? An Examination of Herniation Occurrence Using a Porcine Cervical Disc Model

This study directly tested whether exposure to axial vibration increases the occurrence of intervertebral disc herniation using an in vitro porcine cervical spine model. Twenty FSUs were randomly assigned to static compression or vibratory compression groups, both undergoing 6000 cycles of flexion–extension. Results showed a twofold increase in herniation occurrence in vibrated FSUs compared to static controls. Tensile testing of single annular lamellae found no change in elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, or strength between vibrated and static groups, indicating vibration primarily accelerates macro-scale herniation initiation via fatigue failure rather than altering intrinsic matrix properties.