In what concerns MMP12 (Fig. 5A (e–h) and 5B), another marker associated with IVD fibrosis, heterogeneity was also observed, since MMP12+ cells were absent in 33.3% of AIS samples, in 11.1% protused hernias, in 5.9% of contained hernias and in 9.1% of uncontained samples. The gene discussed is MMP12; the disease is Hernia.