Case Study 1
Figure two shows a thoracic vertebrae with a normal intervertebral disc and a herniated one. The normal one has the normal components of an intervertebral disc: the annulus fibrosus surrounding the nucleus pulposus and the spinal nerves safely exiting through the neural foramina. In the herniated disc it looks like the annulus fibrosus has been ruptured in its weak spot and the nucleus pulposus has escaped and compressed a spinal nerve. Several types of tissues were involved in this injury. The first one is the tissue that intervertebral discs are made of: fibrocartilage. Second will be the tissue that makes up the spinal cord and anything related to it: connective tissue. During an intervertebral disc herniation the compressed …show more content…
There is the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. Most of the nerve endings and sensory receptors are most likely to be found in the dermis and hypodermis. There are various reasons why the doctor preferred figured three rather than figure 2. Figure three shows a lumbar vertebrae with a herniated disc. Figure two shows a thoracic vertebrae with a herniated intercalated disc which is completely different to what the patient has. A thoracic herniated disc causes pain in the upper back (David DeWitt, 2009). The patient suffers from pain in the lower back and in his leg which represents a lumbar herniated disc. This type of herniation compresses a nerve that also runs all the way down the leg and the buttocks which explains the patient’s leg pain, also referred as sciatica because of the sciatic nerve. (Peter F. Ullrich, 2012). Figure three is also more specific to where the weak spot of the annulus fibrosus is located at, and what nerve root is being compressed. Finally, figure three shows that the nucleus pulposus does not fill up the space where the spinal cord is at. In figure two, one could assume that what is happening is a thoracic intervertebral disc herniation and that the nucleus pulposus is filling up the spinal canal, a rare event that could result in paralysis. Figure 3 is a better visual representation of what is really happening to the
Figure two shows a thoracic vertebrae with a normal intervertebral disc and a herniated one. The normal one has the normal components of an intervertebral disc: the annulus fibrosus surrounding the nucleus pulposus and the spinal nerves safely exiting through the neural foramina. In the herniated disc it looks like the annulus fibrosus has been ruptured in its weak spot and the nucleus pulposus has escaped and compressed a spinal nerve. Several types of tissues were involved in this injury. The first one is the tissue that intervertebral discs are made of: fibrocartilage. Second will be the tissue that makes up the spinal cord and anything related to it: connective tissue. During an intervertebral disc herniation the compressed …show more content…
There is the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. Most of the nerve endings and sensory receptors are most likely to be found in the dermis and hypodermis. There are various reasons why the doctor preferred figured three rather than figure 2. Figure three shows a lumbar vertebrae with a herniated disc. Figure two shows a thoracic vertebrae with a herniated intercalated disc which is completely different to what the patient has. A thoracic herniated disc causes pain in the upper back (David DeWitt, 2009). The patient suffers from pain in the lower back and in his leg which represents a lumbar herniated disc. This type of herniation compresses a nerve that also runs all the way down the leg and the buttocks which explains the patient’s leg pain, also referred as sciatica because of the sciatic nerve. (Peter F. Ullrich, 2012). Figure three is also more specific to where the weak spot of the annulus fibrosus is located at, and what nerve root is being compressed. Finally, figure three shows that the nucleus pulposus does not fill up the space where the spinal cord is at. In figure two, one could assume that what is happening is a thoracic intervertebral disc herniation and that the nucleus pulposus is filling up the spinal canal, a rare event that could result in paralysis. Figure 3 is a better visual representation of what is really happening to the