Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters Tournament April 14, overcoming back problems that plagued his performance for years, according to local news affiliate WFAA-TV.
Five insights:
1. The golfer pulled out of a tournament in 2014, citing back pain as the cause. He went on to undergo three back surgeries.
2. Mr. Woods' bottom lower-back disc significantly narrowed because of the operations, as well as herniations. The narrowing caused sciatica and severe back and leg pain that affected Mr. Woods' performance in tournaments.
3. In April 2017, Mr. Woods underwent surgery at the Texas Back Institute in Plano. Orthopedic surgeon Richard Guyer, MD, performed a minimally invasive anterior lumbar interbody fusion to relieve pressure on the nerve.
4. In September 2018, Mr. Woods won his first professional tournament in five years.
5. The success of Mr. Woods' surgery caused a spike in patient calls to the Center For Disc Replacement, according to Scott Blumenthal, MD, a surgeon at the Texas Back Institute.