NOTE: As all cartilage, the intervertebral disc is avascular and aneural and therefore does not heal well and is not a direct source of pain when damaged.
The vertebral endplate is a thin, porous layer of cartilage and bone that separates the intervertebral discs from the vertebral bodies, acting as a crucial interface for nutrient transport, load transfer, and maintaining disc structure and function.
The end plates are the primary pathways for nutrients to reach the avascular disc) from the blood supply of the vertebral body. The endplate is innervated and is a source of back pain when damaged.
