Cadaveric Thoracic Disc Herniation: Fine Architecture of the Prolapse and Relationship with the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Review Data

Q: Is the topic relevant to the journal area of interest? Is it contemporary and interesting for

researchers?

A: Good

Abstract & Keywords

Q: Are all required components included in the abstract? Are the keywords appropriately chosen?

A: Very Good

Goal

Q: Is the goal explicitly stated in the Introduction? Is its formulation clear and unambiguous?

A: Good

Structure

Q: Is the paper's structure coherent? Is it in coherence with the goal of the paper?

A: Good

Comments: The subheading Discussion should be added before the last paragraph.

Tools and Methods

Q: Are methods the author uses adequate and well used?

A: Good

Discussion & Conclusion

Q: Is it related to the results presented before? Do you consider them as coherent?

A: Good

Comments: The Discussion establishes that whether thoracic disc herniation (TDH) will be symptomatic or asymptomatic depends on the individual and the different levels of the thoracic spine. It also illustrates that TDH initiates at the posterior central annulus and the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) acts as the first barrier to limit thoracic disc prolapse. The study concludes that, based on the observation of this study, the cadaveric case presented in the report was most likely asymptomatic.

Literature

Q: Does the author utilize relevant literature?

A: Good

Author's knowledge

Q: What is the level of the author’s knowledge? Does the author utilize all recent contributions relevant to the topic?

A: Good

Length

Q: Is the length of the paper adequate to the significance of the topic? Do you suggest shortening the paper without losing its value?

A: Good

Figures & Tables

Q: Does the author use them suitably? Are legend and notations clear?

A: Good

Writing style

Q: Is it clear and understandable?

A: Good

Further comments on the paper

Comments: The case report presents the case of incidental discovery of thoracic disc herniation (TDH) or thoracic disc prolapse (TDP) in an 89-year-old female cadaver. TDP is a rare occurrence in vivo and is even more rarely observed in cadavers. Symptomatic or asymptomatic thoracic disc herniation may depend on whether the herniation ruptures the barrier of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL). Based on the dimensions of the herniation the study proposes that the lesion was asymptomatic in life. The results of this study indicate that TDH may initiate at the posterior central area of the annulus where the deep layer of the PLL is composed of decussating annulus fibers. The observations of the study provide insights into detailed pathological changes in the anatomy of surrounding structures following disc prolapse. Most available reports on TDP are from live case studies hence findings of this study add to the very little literature available on post-mortem thoracic disc herniation.

Q: Would you recommend this manuscript for further publication?

A: Yes - Suitable to be published

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Science Repository Team