ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025
Does disc consistency matter? a comparative series on calcified and soft thoracic disc herniations.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Posterior Transdural Decompression for Thoracic Disc Herniation Causing Myelopathy: A Systematic Review of Outcomes and Safety.Global spine journal · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThough rare, thoracic disc herniation (TDH) can lead to debilitating myelopathy and poses considerable surgical challenges. The consistency of the herniated disc—soft versus calcified—may significantly influence surgical planning and perioperative outcomes. This retrospective study compares clinical features, surgical parameters, and neurological outcomes in patients with calcified versus soft TDH.
methodsThirty-six patients with thoracic myelopathy due to TDH were treated at a tertiary spine centre between 2018 and 2024. Patients were stratified into calcified (n = 20) and soft (n = 16) disc cohorts based on imaging and intraoperative findings. Data included demographics, imaging, operative details, and neurological outcomes. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.
resultsBaseline demographics were comparable. Calcified cases had higher blood loss (450 mL vs. 275 mL, p = 0.027), more IONM alerts (33% vs. 0%, p = 0.02), and a trend toward more postoperative deficits. Long-term neurological outcomes were comparable (35% vs. 31% improved, p = 0.40).
conclusionCalcified TDHs are associated with greater surgical complexity and risk. However, with appropriate planning, long-term outcomes match those of soft discs. Disc morphology should inform intraoperative strategy but does not necessarily predict prognosis.
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Registered trials
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