Anterior Herniated DiscAn anterior herniated disc is one of the least commonly seen on MRI studies, since the overwhelming majority of disc bulges and ruptures affect the posterior side of the intervertebral disc structure. Anterior bulges are occasionally part of diffuse disc bulge syndromes, but rarely exist by themselves as focal disc protrusions.What is an Anterior Disc Bulge?
Anterior refers to the frontal side of the disc. This is the side which does not face into the spinal canal, but instead faces towards the front of the body. Being that anterior herniations have little chance (if any) of compressing a neurological structure, they are most often dismissed as the source of pain, unless there is another structural issue present, such as a
discogenic
condition in which nerves have grown into the damaged disc or a sizeable
annular tear.
Even in these scenarios, the disc is rarely seen as the direct cause of pain and is virtually never treated surgically.
Anterior Herniated Disc FactsNo one is actually sure why discs rarely herniate anteriorly. Of course, this diagnosis is usually great news compared to a significant herniation which does stand the chance of impinging on a nerve root or compressing the actual spinal cord. Seems like the tendency for discs to bulge posteriorly is the result of a poor evolutionary design…I have seen some chiropractors speculating that anterior herniations are mostly problematic, but this should be no surprise among certain opportunistic care providers who will blame ANY structural irregularity for enacting pain in order to secure a long term customer… opps, patient… In maybe a tiny number of cases, the disc may have something to do with some degree of pain, but in all others, this is just another scapegoat condition blamed for sourcing pain, when all along the disc abnormality is innocent and coincidental to any symptoms which exist. Anterior Herniated Disc to Herniated Disc 8/10/10 Revised 7/15/11 |
Sensei Adam Rostocki
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