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A member asked:
Is a bulged disk in the l4/l5 spine the same as a ruptured disk ?
2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
No: An intervertebral disc is like a jelly donut. It is a tough outer shell with a jelly-like material inside. A bulging disc is when part of the disc pushes out into the space where the spinal cord runs or where the nerves leave the spinal cord. The jelly stays inside the donut. In a herniation the jelly is squeezed out of the donut. The jelly-like material is irritating and can cause pain.
Answered 10/3/2016
5.7k views
No, : A ruptured disc is a more serious condition than a disc bulge; in a ruptured disc more elements of the disc are damaged than in a bulge. There is also a prognostic implication.
Answered 8/2/2013
5.7k views
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