[The spinal intervertebral disc]

The spinal intervertebral disc can cause neurocompression or pain as a result of degeneration. Surgical interventions, therefore, include decompression, fusion, disc replacement or a combination thereof. Identifying the painful segment in the case of axial pain requires accurate segment diagnosis and may require invasive diagnostic measures (joint infiltration, discography), since imaging is often not fluid enough. In the case of fusion following disc removal, the placeholder is substitued in the form of a cage or autologous iliac crest graft. Alternatively, when dorsal elements are intact, a disc prosthesis can be inserted. In the case of compression, removal of the compromised structures (disc, osteophytes) becomes necessary. If the indication is correctly made and the appropriate surgical technique used, good results can be expected from cervical spine surgery.