Chronic lower back pain is a major public health problem, with direct and indirect economic costs comparable to those of heart disease, depression and diabetes. In many cases this pain derives from degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD), a fibrous, avascular tissue that sits between the vertebrae in the spinal column. A novel treatment approach for this ‘discogenic’ pain is the injection of a hydrogel that hybridises in situ and restores the normal biomechanical function of the disc...