Percutaneous Ozone Discolysis in the Treatment of Lumboradiculalgia (LBR) by Disc Herniation About a Prospective Study of 298 Cases

Abstract

<i>Introduction</i>. Percutaneous ozone discolysis consists of the intradiscal injection of medical ozone for therapeutic purposes. This is an innovative per cutaneous surgical treatment of which the use is recent in our department. The purpose of this work was to report our experience on this practice in our country where the neurosurgeon is the first and only recourse in case of disc LBR with failure of conservative treatment. <i>Methods</i>. This was a retrospective study from 2016-2021, including all consenting patients in whom the diagnosis of disc LBR with failure of conservative treatment was retained and who benefited from ozone discolysis. These patients were reassessed (VAS, Lasegue sign and neurological examination) at one week, two weeks, one month, three months. <i>Results</i>. Lumbar ozone discolysis was performed in 298 patients or 84.4% of lumbar disc herniation surgeries. This discolysis indication was mainly disabling LBR (68.8%) and hyperalgic LBR (24.8%). Discolysis concerned 1 level (48.0%); 2 levels (43.3%) and 3 levels (8.7%). At 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months there were respectively 61.1%; 79.2%; 90.3% and 93.6% asymptomatic cases. Pending conventional surgery, discolysis was performed in 19 cases (6.4%) of paralyzing LBR resulting in total recovery. No complications were noted. <i>Conclusion</i>. Ozone discolysis was currently the most commonly used treatment for the management of disc LBR after failure of conservative treatment. Patients’ favorable clinical evolution in the short and medium term indicates the efficacy of the treatment.