Use of unilateral screw-stick and cage bone graft fusion for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation

Abstract

Background: The clinical application of unilateral pedicle screw internal fixation to the treatment of lumbar disc herniation is rarely reported. The aim of our study was to discuss the feasibility and clinical effects of using unilateral pedicle screw-stick and single polyether ether ketone (PEEK) Cage combined with unilateral pedicle internal fixation for lumbar disc herniation. Methods: Retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 353 patients with unilateral monosegmental lumbar disc herniation from January 2007 to February 2013. Unilateral pedicle screw-stick and single PEEK Cage were used for the study group, and bilateral pedicle screw-stick and single PEEK Cage for the control group. Criteria such as Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and Macnab were used to effects of surgery. Results: Compared with those in the control group, the patients in the study group had considerably smaller size of incision, shorter duration of operation, lower intraoperative blood loss, lower postoperative drainage and shorter length of stay and much less money spent on hospitalization (P 0.05). In the postoperative follow-up evaluations of ODI, VAS and postoperative curative effects of lumbar surgery, excellent and good rates of the study group were higher than those of the contract group (P <0.05). Conclusions: Compared with bilateral pedicle screw-stick and single PEEK Cage, unilateral pedicle screw-stick and single PEEK cage are a reliable choice for the treatment of monosegmental lumbar disc herniation.