[Biomechanics of the lumbar intervertebral disc].

The intervertebral disc is at the center of the functioning of the human being Its biomecha- nical functions are very complex and their degradation may cause major issues for the patient. We present here a synthesis of the state of the art regarding the biomechanics of the lumbar disc as prospects of research and clinical applications coming from recent research done at the Institut de Biom6canique Humaine Georges Charpak.