the scar matter can come from various means Roz, from what Dr T explained.
Blood can pull after surgery, truma to soft tissue in the area makes it die and become white/grayish matter attaching to any near by structure, even and especially the cervical nerves.

The adhisions and scar tissue can devlope before surgery too. If the il-6 is the release of a chemicl due to truma that would make sense to contribute., But I think many things contribute to scarring.

Di