Diagnosis and treatment of disc herniation at cervical vertebra 7-thoracic vertebra 1 (C(7)-T(1)) / 中华外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the outcome of laminoforaminotomy with posterolateral discectomy for patients with lateral disc herniation at C(7)-T(1).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From August 2000 to August 2008, 12 patients with lateral disc herniation at C(7)-T(1) underwent posterolateral discectomy were analyzed retrospectively. Neurologic function were evaluated with the Motor Scoring System. Preoperative motor were compared with postoperative one. The unique clinical manifestation, imageology features and intraoperative findings were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All these twelve patients were lateral type. All the patients showed hand intrinsic muscles atrophy and hand weakness. Nine patients had no paraesthesia. The average follow-up period was 26 months. Postoperative scores were significantly higher than preoperative ones.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Disc herniation at C(7)-T(1) is predominantly lateral type and present C(8) nerve motor deficit (hand intrinsic muscles atrophy and hand weakness) and only minority has paraesthesia in C(8) nerve dermatome. Posterolateral cervical discectomy technique is safe and effective for patients with lateral disc herniation at C(7)-T(1).</p>