Anatomical Descriptive Study of 337 Thoracic Disc Herniations

Abstract

Introduction: Conventionally, thoracic disc herniation has been viewed as a very rare pathology, and the few cases considered were considered to have a very low frequency of symptoms. However, new imaging methods show that the frequency of this pathology is quite high and also that its symptoms are encountered much more frequently than expected (since previously only neurological symptoms were taken into account). In view of these considerations, we conducted an anatomical descriptive study of this circumstance. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to review all the nuclear magnetic resonance examinations made of the vertebral column at our hospital between October 2009 and October 2013. For this purpose, we selected the cases that presented herniated thoracic disc (HDT) and studied the social factors involved, the anatomical locations and the effects produced on nerve structures. Results: The sample consisted of 165 subjects, 95 men and 70 women, who presented a total of 337 HDT, with an average of 2.042 injuries per patient. We describe the most frequent locations, effects, and relationship to sex and age. Conclusions: We believe it is of interest to determine the anatomical details of this type of herniation, in view of recent knowledge obtained concerning its high frequency and the clinical significance of this information.