4:18 PM Abstract No. 58 - Percutaneous treatment of lumbar and cervical intervertebral disc herniations with radiopaque gelified ethanol (RGE): clinical and morphostructural changes in our experience

Abstract

Purpose To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of injection of RGE in the percutaneuos treatment of lumbar and cervical disc herniations. Furthermore, intervertebral disc morfostructural changes has been evaluated by three dimensional compute tomography (3D-CT). Materials and Methods Between September 2010 and April 2012, 47 symptomatic patients (21 females, 26 males, age range at treatment: 33-75 years) have been treated for 54 lumbar intervertebral disc herniations in L2-L3 (n: 3), L4-L5 (n: 25), and L5-S1 (n: 26) levels, and 7 cervical intervertebral discs in C4-C5 (n: 2), C5-C6 (n: 3), C6-C7 (n: 1), and C7-D1 (n: 1) levels by percutaneous intradiscal injection of RGE (DISOGEL by Gelscom SAS Caen France). All treatments were performed under fluoroscopic guidance with biplanar 3D rotational angiographic system using 18 G needle for lumbar and 21 G for cervical. All patients received local anesthesia and a “short term” antibiotic therapy. In 14 patients, the treatment was performed in 2 levels in the same session. In 5 cases large extruded and migrated herniations have been treated. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, including VAS scale before treatment, soon after treatment, 3 and 6 months later. Low dose three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) was obtained after treatment and 3 months later. Results All the procedures have been well tolerated. There were no allergic complications. 34 patients (85%) with lumbar disc herniations and 4 of 5 patients with cervical herniations obtained improvement in symptoms. In these patients, VAS scale showed a significant score reduction (p Conclusion These results show the efficacy and innocuity RGE. RGE does not produce any intervertebral disc morphostructural change.