History of surgery for ruptured disk

The history of surgery for ruptured disk of the human spine began approximately a century ago. Advances in the understanding of symptoms and signs of root or cord compression, their relationship to the pathology, and the refinement in imaging techniques have contributed to the present surgical management of rupture disk disease. Historical findings relevant to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral regions of the spine, with relevant pathophysiology, imaging, and surgical treatment, including the evolution of various surgical approaches are discussed. Surgeons and other contributors in the medical field are cited for their respective contributions to the evolution of the present operative approaches for disk ruptures in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal regions.