What is the typical progression of a disc lesion from initial to most advanced stage?

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Disc degeneration sets the stage first: the disc loses hydration and structural integrity, especially in the annulus fibrosus, leading to a weaker containment of the nucleus pulposus. This makes bulging of the disc material more likely, known as a prolapse or protrusion, where material herniates outward but stays connected to the disc. As degeneration advances, nucleus material can break through the annulus and extend beyond the disc space in an extrusion, still continuous with the disc material. If part of that extruded material severs completely, it becomes a sequestrated fragment that may migrate within the spinal canal. This progression from degeneration to prolapse, then extrusion, and finally sequestration best matches the typical natural history of a disc lesion.