This study evaluated the association of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of the candidate genes of the aggrecan metabolic pathway with the severity of lumbar disc herniation in patients with chronic mechanical low back pain.
The results showed an association between short alleles and LDH among the investigated adults (Ca), corroborating the hypothesis that aggrecan with shorter repeat lengths can lead to a reduction in the physiological proteoglycan function of intervertebral disc hydration and, consequently, increased individual susceptibility to LDH.