Regenerative potential of mouse neonatal intervertebral disc depends on collagen crosslink density

Intervertebral disc (IVD) defects heal poorly and can cause back pain and disability. We identified that IVD herniation injury heals regeneratively in neonatal mice until postnatal day 14 (p14) and shifts to fibrotic healing by p28. This age coincides with the shift in expansive IVD growth from cell proliferation to matrix elaboration, implicating collagen crosslinking.