Hi Holly!
Disc protrusion means that some of the jelly-like center of the disc is protruding out. It is a disc herniation that allows the disc material to come out. Think of a disc as a shock absorber with a tougher outside layer and jelly-like material in the middle. The thecal sac is a membrane on the spinal cord or spinal nerves. Your MRI means that that disc material is leaking out of the disc and touching the thecal sac. A lot of people have herniated discs that aren't causing any symptoms since the disc material isn't touching anything. Some people have a lot of problems because the material is impinging or compressing a nerve. It sounds like you are in the middle. The material is touching your spinal cord or spinal nerves but not compressing them. Spondylosis is a type of degenerative osteoarthritis in the spine. Anterolaterally would be the location on the particular levels noted (T-8 through T-11). I hope this helps!
Craig
Er, not quite.... disc
bulging is from degeneration in the strength (integrity) of the annulus fibrosis, rather than
herniation, which is when the jelly-like substance is leaking out through a tear in the annulus. The nucleus pulposis could be thought of as caustic, if you like, and will cause massive inflammation in structures that it touches. Then in addition to that it may compress the theca enough to cause spinal canal or spinal nerve root compression and therefore neurological symptoms.
The disc material(or even the annular bulge)is NOT touching the spinal nerve roots or spinal cord in Holly's MRI. No significant indentation of the thecal sac is evident, let alone pressure on neural structures.
Sorry to be anal, but there's a huge difference between signs and symptoms of disc bulges and disc herniation...
(Off my soapbox now...)
