The treatment of thoracic intervertebral disc protrusions.

A series of seventeen patients with a protruded thoracic intervertebral disc is reported. In many cases a trauma, which was sometimes mild, seems to have played a role. This and signs and symptoms (of which pronounced numbness and obtrusive paraesthesiae are the most important) should suggest the diagnosis. In such patients myelography and tomography of the thoracic region is indicated. Twelve of the seventeen patients operated upon improved and nine of them made a good or excellent recovery.