By now you understand the anatomy of the disc. You know that the disc is avascular- meaning it has no blood supply. No blood supply means that tears in the disc can’t heal. A disc herniation means there has been a complete tear through and through the wall of the disc. If this tear can’t heal, it therefore becomes permanent. This means another fragment of the center of the disc can become loose and exit through this hole causing another herniation. This is called a recurrent disc herniation. If you undergo a microdiscectomy or even if you don’t, there is a chance that another herniation can occur. For the neck, treatment with fusion prevents another disc herniation.
About the Author: Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.