Herniated Thoracic Discs

Abstract

Summary

Although herniated discs in the thoracic region are a well-known clinical entity, their treatment has been widely debated. The lack of a clearcut clinical syndrome and the occurrence of asymptomatic thoracic discs on MRI scan make planning for treatment problematic. The surgical treatment of herniated thoracic discs has produced one certainty, that of laminectomy being highly associated with poor results. More lateral approaches, such as a trans-pedicular, costotransversectomy, lateral extracavitary, and the anterior transthoracic, have all been used with good results. The location of the herniated disc between Tl and T12 as well as the position of the disc in the canal, central or paracentral, aids surgical planning. Disc calcification or associated stenosis also guides the surgical approach.