What is annular tear?

[cheryl stewart]

What type of condition is this? Why can't it be managed with a seal like a buldge or herniation?

[Katie]

I could be wrong, but I think you mean an annulus tear. That is a tear or rip in the membrane of the disc. I'll have to do some more investigation to go farther with this.

[Justin]

A Patient's Guide to Lumbar Disc Herniation

This document explains what an annular tear is and has associated pictures.

[Keano16]

Annulus is outer part of your disc. It is a wall that keeps soft part of the disc inside the circle (the disc).

Annulus is contained of few (4-5) slices similar to lameles. When some of this lameles collapse or rupture, this is called annular tear. It is very important when your annular tear is located. Not all annular tears cause pain.

Secret is in sinu-vertebral nerve endings that are located in outer part of your annulus, when disc nucleus bulges and creates annular tear and defect in the same position where this nerves are located, this causes pain that is transmitted by SVN that I already mentioned.

Annular tear is represented on MRI as high-intensity zone (HIZ), but discography is needed to see if this annular tear innervates SVN and then cause pain. Nuclear materials in nucleus pulposis create sterile inflammation when they touch SVN.

[Nairek]

I was diagnosed with a bi-lateral tear of the L5/S1 disc back in 2004. There were days when the pain wasn't that bad & then there were days that I could barely walk. The discomfort and the pins & needles going down my right leg could be down right maddening most days. I was told that most of this was caused by nerves in & around the disc being irritated by the disc material that was leaking out into the canal.

I had an IDET (Inta-Discal Electrothermal Therapy) procedure done in August 2004 where a needle was inserted through the disc & then a thin wire was fed thru the needle into the disc. The wire was then heated to "melt" the disc collagen in order to re-seal the disc. The surgery seemed to be successful but only for about 5 months. After that, I steadily spiraled downward and ultimately gave in to surgery. I had a spinal fusion in January 2009 & that ended my many years of pain at that level.

Hope this info is helpful to you.

K

[Keano16]

Thing with IDET is that most of websites and surgeons give wrong information to their visitors/patients.

IDET's main function is buring SVN endings and not to restore original disc position.

So, when we know the main function of IDET, we find out that its not a long-term procedure.

[cheryl stewart]

So it's really just the word or term for any type of disc herniation? And it sounds as though minimally invasive is short term solution. But then again, everybody heals and responds differently. Thanks for all who chimed in. -Cheryl

[Keano16]

It could be interpreted like that. Annulus is defected in any type of herniation (as far as I know).

MISS is not short-term solution... Its often quoted as "short-term" by some surgeons who don't know much about MISS.

All best

[cheryl stewart]

You are most likely correct. They do what they have been trained to do. They place the hardware like the plates to ensure fusion. But long term it's not good for the patient. I am still going to persue the laser spine, micro spine options if need be.

[cheryl stewart]

Thing with IDET is that most of websites and surgeons give wrong information to their visitors/patients.

IDET's main function is buring SVN endings and not to restore original disc position.

So, when we know the main function of IDET, we find out that its not a long-term procedure.

I'm sorry, but what is IDET? SVN, is that spinal _ _ _ nerves? Please explain. Thanks, Cher