[Polish nomenclature of lumbar disc disease].

Lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common damage of musculoskeletal system. The incidence of pain of lumbosacral spine is estimated approximately on 60-90% in general population, whereas the incidence of disc herniation in patients experiencing low back pain is about 91%. Despite the high incidence and uncomplicated pathogenesis of disc disease there is a problem with the nomenclature. In the vast majority of cases, the naming confusion stems from ignorance of the etiology of low back pain. Different terminologies: morphological, topographical, Radiological and Clinical are used interchangeably. In addition, diagnosis is presented in a variety of languages: Polish, English and Latin. Moreover, the medical and traditional language are used alternately. The authors found in Polish literature more, than 20 terms to describe lumbar disc herniation. All of these terms in the meaning of the authors are used to determine one pathology--mechanical damage to the intervertebral disc and moving the disc material beyond the anatomical area.