title: Lumbar discectomy--percentage of disc removal and detection of anterior annulus perforation.
abstract: A prospective study was carried out to estimate the percentage of disc removal at the time of lumbar laminectomy and discectomy. Intraoperative discograms were obtained which afforded a method of calculating the percentage of disc removal. The technique permits localization of the level of discectomy and provides a means of detecting anterior annulus perforation intraoperatively, which we hope will reduce the morbidity of anterior annulus perforation. A comparison between the efficacy of disc removal (microdiscectomy vs. laminectomy) is also presented.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D011859:Radiography