Traumatic lumbar disc herniation: A systemic case review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Traumatic lumbar disc herniation (TLDH) without fracture in the in-situ motion segment is a rare occurrence compared with degenerative herniation.

Research question: This study provides a systematic discussion of various aspects related to the diagnosis of TLDH.

Material and methods: This review includes 12 cases of TLDH with MR-images since 2009 published in the PubMed and one adjunct illustration. The cases were categorized into two groups for a comprehensive analysis, TLDH with or without in-situ segment fracture. Additionally, we reported a case of a 43-year-old female patient with a recent stenosing TLDH at L5/S1, accompanied by a large sequestration (disc herniation stage-4, and Michigan State University Classification: MSU 3-AB) and an endplate compression fracture at L2 (AO A1).

Results: Isolated traumatic lumbar disc herniation is possible, but it is required exclude cases with fractures in the in-situ motion segment.

Discussion and conclusion: Trauma with related injury mechanisms is the highest priority for the diagnosis of TLDH. Low-grade disc degeneration without significant instability could be accepted for diagnosing TLDH. A TLDH on MR images might show a slightly lower T2-signal compared to the CSF and a homogeneous T1-signal like the spinal cord, as well as a similar STIR-signal of the sequestration and CSF. If necessary, a histological examination could be performed to evaluate the degenerative changes in the injured disc, especially to assist the evaluation due to legal reasons.