The invention relates to a method of treatment for a mammal in need of chemonucleolysis. The method comprising the administration of an effective proteoglycan cleaving amount of a proteoglycan-degrading enzyme and an effective amount of a growth factor effective in promoting the synthesis of a matrix component. The proteoglycan-degrading enzyme is preferably chondroitinase. The growth factor is preferably osteogenic protein. The proteoglycan-degrading enzyme and the growth factor are preferably administered simultaneously.