Where is a sequestrated disc fragment located?

Where is a sequestrated disc fragment located?

• A. In the annulus fibrosus
• B. Inside the spinal canal
• C. In the nucleus pulposus
• D. Epidural space

Answer: (D)

When a disc fragment is sequestrated, a piece of nucleus pulposus breaks away from the disc and becomes a free fragment that migrates into the epidural space of the spinal canal. This space lies outside the dural sac, between the dura and the surrounding vertebral structures, where such detached fragments can press on nerve roots and cause radicular symptoms. It’s not still within the annulus fibrosus or tied to the nucleus pulposus, and while it resides in the spinal canal, its defining location is the epidural space.

When a disc fragment is sequestrated, a piece of nucleus pulposus breaks away from the disc and becomes a free fragment that migrates into the epidural space of the spinal canal. This space lies outside the dural sac, between the dura and the surrounding vertebral structures, where such detached fragments can press on nerve roots and cause radicular symptoms. It’s not still within the annulus fibrosus or tied to the nucleus pulposus, and while it resides in the spinal canal, its defining location is the epidural space.