Spinal Imaging in Relation to Surgical Therapy: Pre- and Post-Operative

Abstract

Lumbar disc herniation with protrusion or extrusion of the nucleus pulposus is often classified under degenerative spinal conditions but has a different epidemiological profile. Herniations occur with higher frequency in the middle-age group and even in adolescents, and sometimes without other degenerative spinal features such as spondylosis and spondylarthrosis, whereas the incidence of the latter manifestations appears to have a more linear relationship with increasing age (Boden et al. 1990).