Description - The spinal department at Vienna’s Speising Orthopaedic Hospital is widely acknowledge throughout Austria, and is continually developing new method of treatment. It recently opened a cell laboratory where physicians can carry out research into the possibilities for biological treatment of intervertebral disk problems. Intervertebral disk ensure the mobility of the spine and act as shock absorbers. They have to withstand a great deal during the courses of a life: a single intervertebral disk has to withstand a pressure of 23 bar when you lift a birdcage of beer. By comparison, the average pressure in a car tyre is 2 bar. It is not therefore surprising that degenerative change should occur: intervertebral disks may lose water, shrink, and finally tear, which is extremely painful.