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Types of hernias of the spine: cervical, lumbar and thoracic

Types of hernias of the spine are divided into a plurality of groups, forming different qualifications. Such gradation allows surgeons to see where the Department is located hernia; what type of surgery to use; how much work they have. In addition, the doctor can predict in advance the possible complications after surgery and what difficulties have to face during the recovery period. Patient knowledge of hernias helps to understand how the vertebra should be protected from load, injuries, and sharp turns, slopes. What are the types of hernia in our spine?

Vidy gryzh pozvonochnika

By location

The probability of occurrence of the hernia is large and it can be localized in any of the spine.

Cervical

Here hernias occur less often. Clinical picture: pain radiating to the shoulder or arm; one may feel a "tingling" or numbness in hands; start of migraine; the patient complains of feeling dizzy and high blood pressure. Causes: reduction in depreciation of the annulus, destruction and damage; poor muscle corset; a lot of pressure on the neck; injuries due to diving, bad turns, falls, accidents, etc.;

Maybe you searched for: the consequences of herniation of the cervical spine.

Thoracic

Clinical picture: the patient feels a constant discomfort in the chest; often the hernia goes well with curvature of the spine; the man with a load and after it takes a forced position. The reason for this type of hernia be negative changes in the vertebrae, which decreases their elasticity. The damaged vertebra is unable to withstand the resistance, the contents of the intervertebral disc begins to bulge, becoming a protrusion. If there is no timely treatment, the protrusion becomes a hernia. The main causes of this variety of hernia: heavy lifting; the weakening of the spine due to frequent physical activity; injury of the spine. This type of hernia is the most rare, the patient is often unaware of its presence, because symptoms of pathology soft;

See also: how to determine spinal hernia?

Lumbar

Clinical picture: leg numb: in difficult cases is a violation defecation, disturbed sensibility of the feet; when the load on the lumbar pains become stronger, giving back in the glutes or thigh; muscles of the affected area weaker. This type of hernia occurs most often because of high load on the lower back. Its causes are diametrically opposed. This excessive strain on the lumbar. The second main cause of the hernia becomes inactive sedentary lifestyle.

Primary and secondary

Primary hernia occurs because of the strong overload parts of the spine after injury. Initial condition: the spine healthy. A secondary hernia is a result of negative changes in diseases of the spine. It occurs due to degenerative changes in the discs, due to the destruction of the vertebrae, drying and loss of elasticity.

The loss of land

If we consider all types of hernias our spine, their types, you can merge them to one classification:

  • Anterolateral hernia. They are characterized by the fact that we are ahead of the vertebrae, causing injury of the anterior longitudinal ligament, the patient feels a permanent pain in the affected Department;
  • Posterolateral. This type of hernia, located at the rear of the annulus, is divided into three subspecies: the median (in the middle); paramedian (going left or right from the middle); lateral (a type of hernia on the left, on the right side of the posterior longitudinal ligament).

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The protrusion

Pathology are divided according to the size of the plot in favour of a vertebra:

  • Protrusion. This is the case when the hernia protrudes is not more than 0.3 cm;
  • The prolapse. The protrusion of a hernia ranges from 0, 3 to 0 cm, 5 cm, the Symptoms of its soft, but already begin to appear;
  • Developed a hernia. It is characterized by the protrusion is greater than 0, 6 cm, rupture of the fibrous ring, resulting in the nucleus pulposus comes out.

The types of fabrics

Tissue that extend beyond the vertebra may be different, they are divided into three types:

  • Pulpose. These pathologies, which, if beyond vertebra protrude into the canal of the spinal cord. Occur due to the damage of the annulus or the destruction of a vertebral body;
  • Cartilage. Most often this type of pathology appears because of the constant inflammation of a chronic nature. In these cases, the cartilage loses moisture and elasticity, and the protrusion provokes a strong physical exertion;
  • Bone. Such hernias are mostly the elderly. This kind of vertebral pathologies in which the growths (osteophytes) press on the "ponytail" and (I) spinal cord.

Suggest to read: osteophytes of the cervical spine.

Pulpoznye patologii

Size

Doctors there are several types of hernias-size:

  • Little. It is characterized by the size of the protrusions in the lumbar spine to 0, 4 cm, and cervical to 0, 2 cm;
  • The average hernia is larger and can reach in the lumbar and 0, 7 cm, and cervical to 0, 4 cm;
  • The large size of the hernia — a protrusion in the cervical spine to 0, 6 cm, and in the lumbar and 0, 9 cm;
  • The doctor said the hernia is huge, if the protrusion it reaches 0, 8 cm in the cervical, lumbar and sacrum it reaches 0.9 cm

Anatomical classification

The doctors divide all hernias of the spine anatomy of the body into the following subtypes:

  • Free hernia. The structure of the damaged disk is not broken, but the core bulges into the canal of the spinal cord;
  • Moving. This type of bulging occurs only when the patient performs the load, being in a position causing the protrusion:
  • Wandering hernia. This kind of protrusion doctors consider the most dangerous among all existing. It destroys partly or completely the entire spinal disc. Of all types of hernias of the consequences of wandering hernias are the most negative, even after surgery surgeons say a large number of complications in patients.