Anterior discectomy without fusion for treatment of cervical lateral soft disc extrusion: a follow-up of 120 cases

One hundred and twenty patients with soft lateral disc herniation underwent surgery by anterior microsurgical discectomy and routine ablation of the posterior longitudinal ligament between 1976 and 1986. The study excluded patients with hard discs and soft disc extrusion with medullary symptoms. In our series 76.6% of patients were men. In 64% of the patients no causative factor was found. All of the patients presented with cervicobrachialgia; 53% also had a motor deficit. In 91.7% a single disc was involved. The last 40 cases were evaluated by computed tomography alone. In 51.5% an extruded disc was found. No permanent postoperative complication was encountered. All patients returned to their previous activities. Fifty patients underwent follow-up radiological evaluation at 1 and 5 years after the intervention and vertebral fusion was observed in 70% of these.