In the world literature, the study of 19 patients reported in 1934 by WJ. Mixter et JS. Barr is credited with being the first report of surgical excision to treat lumbar disc herniation. In 1909, several reports of surgery to remove tumours causing compression of the lumbar nerve roots were published. However, no links were established between the intervertebral disks and these tumours, which were classified as enchondromas. In 1930, the neurologist T. Alajouanine and the surgeon D. Petit-Dutaillis built on work by the German pathologist CG Schmorl and on their personal experience with two surgically treated patients to write detailed descriptions of disc herniations and their underlying mechanisms. Although they were the first to gain a clear understanding of lumbar disc herniation, their work remained unrecognised, probably due to both language barriers and their failure to report on a larger number of patients.