Overview of Lumbar and Thoracic Disc Degeneration and Herniation Despite an improving understanding of degenerative disc disease on the basis of its natural history and basic science, treatment results of this entity vary greatly. There is no lack of treatment…
Overview of Disc Degeneration and Herniation in the Cervical Spine Cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) is not a specific diagnosis but a pathophysiologic process that incorporates a spectrum of disease states. Manifestations of cervical DDD can range from neck pain…
Anatomy of Vertebral Column The vertebral column comprises 33 vertebrae divided into five sections (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 4 coccygeal) ( Fig. 37.1 ). The sacral and coccygeal vertebrae are fused, which typically allows for…