Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is an age‐related degenerative spinal disorder, with age as the primary independent risk factor. To investigate the key pathogenic mechanisms of IVDD, we conducted biochemical analyses on IVD specimens from elderly and young groups. In this study, we found that methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels are significantly elevated within the discs of the elderly group, suggesting that MMA may be a critical metabolite involved in aging‐induced IVDD. In in vitro experiments, we observed that MMA treatment of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) upregulated the expression of extracellular matrix catabolic markers and downregulated the expression of anabolic markers. Further validation in an in vivo mouse model of needle puncture‐induced IVDD confirmed that MMA accelerates IVDD progression. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that MMA upregulates the expression of C‐C motif chemokine ligand 7 (CCL7) in NPCs. CCL7 acts as a chemoattractant, further enhancing Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling transduction, ultimately leading to upregulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. This promotes abnormal growth of vascular endothelial cells, resulting in disc vascularization. Additional in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that disc vascularization is a key progression factor in IVDD. As a rescue strategy, we administered lenvatinib, a VEGF receptor inhibitor, which delayed IVDD progression. Therefore, VEGF and disc vascularization represent a promising therapeutic target for IVDD, offering an innovative approach to addressing IVDD treatment in clinical practice.

Background: Plate‐screw fixation systems have been widely applied in anterior cervical decompression surgery, yet the design of the plates themselves and a series of severe complications arising therefrom have attracted increasing attention from clinicians and scholars. In this study, a novel anterior cervical plate system was designed and subjected to biomechanical testing. Methods: Twelve fresh goat cadaveric specimens were used. A high‐precision digital grating displacement sensor system was used to compare the stability, fatigue resistance, and pull‐out strength of the novel PRUNUS plate‐screw system to those of the Atlantis plate‐screw system in destabilized cervical spines. Results: The biomechanical test results revealed that the novel PRUNUS plate‐screw system provided equivalent three‐dimensional stability to that of the Atlantis system, ensuring immediate postoperative stability of the cervical spine after anterior cervical internal fixation and meeting the requirements for rigid internal fixation. In addition, the PRUNUS system exhibited a similar fatigue life and fatigue strength to those of the Atlantis system, which was sufficient to maintain cervical stability after anterior interbody fusion, confirming the long‐term safety and efficacy of the PRUNUS system in vivo. The PRUNUS system also showed superior overall fixation and locking performance. Conclusion: The novel PRUNUS plate‐screw system possesses excellent biomechanical properties and provides effective stabilization for the cervical spine.