History of surgery for ruptured disk

The history of surgery for ruptured disk of the human spine began approxima tely a century ago. Advances in the understanding of symptoms and signs of root or cord compression, their relationship to the pathology, and the refi nement in imaging techniques have contributed to the present surgical manag ement of rupture disk disease. Historical findings relevant to the cervical , thoracic, and lumbosacral regions of the spine, with relevant pathophysio logy, imaging, and surgical treatment, including the evolution of various s urgical approaches are discussed. Surgeons and other contributors in the me dical field are cited for their respective contributions to the evolution o f the present operative approaches for disk ruptures in the cervical, thora cic, and lumbar spinal regions.