Herniated Lumbar Intervertebral Disks

Abstract

Introduction Since the original report, in 1934, of Mixter and Barr,23innumerable reports on the subject of herniated intervertebral disks have been recorded. At first glance, this condition would seem to offer few problems in diagnosis and management. Yet every series of cases contains a group of negative explorations and a group of poor results. It is apparent that differences of opinion regarding various phases of the management of patients suspected of having a herniated disk do exist. The purpose of this paper is to review some of these differences and to report our own experience with 347 explorations for lumbar disk herniation. Review of Literature In the presence of typical signs and symptoms, the diagnosis of a herniated lumbar intervertebral disk is not difficult. However, the accurate preoperative localization of the level of herniation has offered some problems, so that the methods used in localization have been a