Disc Herniations Flashcards
What is the true definition of a disc herniation?
Projection of nuclear material through the annulus into the canal
Are disc herniations common?
NO; only 5% of back pain patients suffer from disc herniation
What is the gold standard imaging procedure to diagnosis a disc herniation?
MRI
How does the pain typically present with a disc herniation?
IMMEDIATELY
What is the most common complaint of patients with a disc herniation?
Back pain
What kinds of activities make the pain of a disc herniation work?
Sneezing, flexion, sitting, bowel movement
What is one of the most serious complications of a disc herniation?
Cauda Equina syndrome (1-16%)
What is cauda equina syndrome?
Compression of multiple nerve roots leading to altered bowel and bladder function, saddle paresthesia, muscle atrophy, and impotence
What neurological test can be used to assess for myelopathy?
Lhermitte’s
What kind of canal can lead to asymptomatic herniations?
Increased canal size
What is the most common treatment for a herniated disc?
Discectomy
What is the most common age range for a disc herniation?
25-40 (which discs are juicy)
A C5/C6 disc herniation would compress which nerve root?
C6
What kinds of symptoms arise from a midline disc herniation in the cervicals?
Myelopathies
What kind of directional disc herniation causes nerve route compression below in the cervicals?
Lateral
What type of disc herniation in the lumbars will compress the nerve root BELOW? The nerve root at the same level?
BELOW = midline/paracentral
SAME LEVEL = foraminal