05-09-2005, 02:34 PM
A 62-year-old man is seen in an emergency department because of severe pain in his lower back, Ieft buttock and the posterolateral aspect of his left leg. The pain began acutely after he lifted his 8-year-old granddaughter into the back of a truck, and he describes it as "shooting" in nature. When examined by the physician, he has curled into a fetal position, which he says relieves the pain. Attempts to extend the man's spine cause a marked exacerbation of the pain.
The nucleus pulposus is composed of which of the following?
/ A. Cancellous bone
/ B. Compact bone
/ C. EIastic fibrocartilage
/ D. Hyaline cartilage
/ E. White fibrocartilage