[A classification of the herniated cervical disc based on metrizamide CT]

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Radiology
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Cervical disc herniation is a common cause of spinal cord compression.
• Accurate classification of herniated discs is crucial for surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a new classification system for herniated cervical discs.
• To correlate imaging findings with clinical presentation and surgical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 150 surgical cases of anterior cervical fusion with disc herniation.
• Metrizamide computed tomography (CT) scans were used to evaluate disc morphology and location.
• Classification based on disc type (soft/hard) and protrusion direction (medial, mediolateral, lateral, central, bilateral, unilateral, combined).

Main Results:

• The C5/6 level was most frequently affected (51.2%), followed by C6/7 (23.9%) and C4/5 (17.2%).
• Soft discs were categorized into medial (17.7%), mediolateral (12.4%), and lateral (3.8%) types.
• Hard discs were classified into central, bilateral, and unilateral types, with a combined type also identified.

Conclusions:

• A novel 7-type classification system for herniated cervical discs has been proposed based on metrizamide CT findings.
• This classification differentiates disc protrusion patterns and potential compression sites.
• Further research is needed to validate the clinical utility of this classification system.