Posterolateral approach to ruptured soft cervical discs. Technical note

Most ruptured cervical discs are operated on by an anterolateral approach. The posterior approach is an older procedure, nowadays underused because it was associated with a high morbidity, especially in terms of medullary com plications. However, posterior approach has evolved in posterolateral route , which is not so devastating and has a very low morbidity rate. It gives e xcellent functional results when surgery is dedicated to monoradiculopathy from soft posterolateral cervical hernias. If seems appropriate to consider this surgical route as an alternative to anterolateral surgery in these ve ry selected cases. The authors describe and comment the technique.