I too have never heard of this happening, mine also didn't show up on my MRI, in fact when I had my MRI in January of 06 it showed stenosis, tear, and osteophytes, but as each and every month that went on my symptoms got worse. So I'm going to ask my surgeon that from January to September my disk went completely, and is this a fast rate of disk degeneration disease.

It seems that my disks tend to go quickly, do yours do the same?
I just woke up from surgery extremely sore in the back of my neck, it's somewhat subsiding, my surgeon said that to expect it for almost two weeks and that this would be the majority of my pain.

Good luckk to you.
Daisymae