Intradiscal injection of anti-oxidants

1 . A method of treating degenerative disc disease in an intervertebral disc having a nucleus pulposus, comprising transdiscally administering an effective amount of a formulation comprising a first antioxidant into an intervertebral disc.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-oxidant is a vitamin.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the vitamin is Vitamin C.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the formulation comprises at least 100 μM Vitamin C.

5 . The method of claim 2 wherein the vitamin is Vitamin E.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the vitamin is Vitamin A.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-oxidant comprises a trace element.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the trace element is selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc and selenium.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the trace element is copper.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the copper is incorporated in superoxide dismutase (SOD).

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the formulation comprises at least 1000 U/ml SOD.

12 . The method of claim 8 wherein the trace element is selenium.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the selenium is incorporated in GSH-PX.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the formulation comprises at least 20 μg/ml GSH-PX.

15 . The method of claim 8 wherein the trace element is zinc.

16 . The method of claim 12 wherein the zinc is incorporated in catalase.

17 . The method of claim 13 wherein the formulation comprises at least 1000 U/ml catalase.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein the formulation comprises a second anti-oxidant.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a first vitamin and the second anti-oxidant comprises a second vitamin.

20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a Vitamin C and the second anti-oxidant comprises Vitamin E.

21 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a vitamin and the second anti-oxidant comprises a trace element.

22 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises zinc.

23 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises copper.

24 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises selenium.

25 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises zinc.

26 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises copper.

27 . The method of claim 21 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises selenium.

28 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a first trace element and the second anti-oxidant comprises a second trace element.

29 . The method of claim 28 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a copper and the second anti-oxidant comprises zinc.

30 . The method of claim 28 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises copper and the second anti-oxidant comprises selenium.

31 . The method of claim 28 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises zinc and the second anti-oxidant comprises selenium.

32 . A syringe having a barrel containing a formulation comprising a first antioxidant and a second antioxidant.

33 . The syringe of claim 32 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a first vitamin and the second anti-oxidant comprises a second vitamin.

34 . The syringe of claim 32 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a Vitamin C and the second anti-oxidant comprises Vitamin E.

35 . The syringe of claim 32 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a vitamin and the second anti-oxidant comprises a trace element.

36 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises zinc.

37 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises copper.

38 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin C and the trace element comprises selenium.

39 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises zinc.

40 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises copper.

41 . The syringe of claim 35 wherein the vitamin comprises Vitamin E and the trace element comprises selenium.

42 . The syringe of claim 32 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a first trace element and the second anti-oxidant comprises a second trace element.

43 . The syringe of claim 42 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises a copper and the second anti-oxidant comprises zinc.

44 . The syringe of claim 42 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises copper and the second anti-oxidant comprises selenium.

45 . The syringe of claim 42 wherein the first anti-oxidant comprises zinc and the second anti-oxidant comprises selenium.

46 . A syringe having a barrel containing a formulation comprising a first antioxidant comprising a trace element.

47 . The syringe of claim 46 wherein the trace element is selected from the group consisting of zinc, copper and selenium.

48 . The syringe of claim 47 wherein the trace element is zinc.

49 . The syringe of claim 48 wherein the first anti-oxidant is SOD.

50 . The syringe of claim 47 wherein the trace element is copper.

51 . The syringe of claim 48 wherein the first anti-oxidant is catalase.

52 . The syringe of claim 47 wherein the trace element is selenium.

53 . The syringe of claim 48 wherein the first anti-oxidant is GSH-PX.

54 . The syringe of claim 46 wherein the formulation further comprises a second antioxidant comprising a second trace element.

55 . A syringe having a barrel containing a formulation comprising an antioxidant comprising an iron binding agent.

56 . The syringe of claim 55 wherein the iron binding agent is selected from the group consisting of transferring and lactoferrin.

57 . The syringe of claim 56 wherein the iron binding agent is transferrin.

58 . The syringe of claim 48 wherein the transferrin is autologous.

59 . The syringe of claim 47 wherein the iron binding agent is lactoferrin.

60 . The syringe of claim 48 wherein the lactoferrin is autologous.

61 . A method of treating degenerative disc disease in an intervertebral disc of a patient having a nucleus pulposus and an annulus fibrosus, comprising the steps of:

a) intradiscally administering an effective amount of a formulation comprising an iron-binding agent into the intervertebral disc.

62 . The method of claim 61 wherein the agent is autologous.

63 . The method claim 61 wherein the agent is obtained from the patient's blood.

64 . The method of claim 61 wherein the agent is exogenous.

65 . The method of claim 61 wherein the agent is transferrin.

66 . The method of claim 65 wherein the transferrin is autologous.

67 . The method of claim 65 wherein the transferrin is exogenous.

68 . The method of claim 61 wherein the agent is lactoferrin.

69 . The method of claim 68 wherein the lactoferrin is autologous.

70 . The method of claim 68 wherein the lactoferrin is exogenous.

71 . The method of claim 61 wherein the iron-binding agent is an anti-oxidant

72 . The method of claim 61 wherein the iron binding agent is administered in an amount effective to alleviate pain.

73 . The method of claim 61 wherein the iron binding agent is administered in a concentration of at least about 3 mg/ml.

74 . The method of claim 61 wherein the iron binding agent is administered in an amount of at least about 1 mg.

75 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises fibrin.

76 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises hyaluronic acid

77 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises stem cells.

78 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises platelet rich plasma.

79 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises a growth factor.

80 . The method of claim 61 wherein the formulation comprises rh-GDF-5.

81 . A method of treating degenerative disc disease in an intervertebral disc having a nucleus pulposus, comprising:

a) administering an effective amount of an anti-oxidant into a degenerating disc; and

b) administering at least one additional therapeutic agent in an amount effective to at least partially repair the disc.